Unions opposed it, builders dismissed it, but the American homebuyer would embrace prefabricated housing as soon as they could afford it. Despite fierce opposition, the government made it a reality by allowing FHA financing on prefabricated homes with loans of $6,000 or less. In announcing this...

“My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.” (— You, probably) It’s a common refrain from recent automation adopters, and you might just find yourself saying it one day. So, what makes that initial step feel like such a big leap and not just another step...

Manufacturing, in truss production, means transforming lumber and plates into engineered components through machinery, labor, and precise processes. In 2025, it’s more than labor—it’s automation. Some cling to the old beat, stacking bodies and tuning schedules as if headcounts...

At Element Equipment, we pride ourselves in our custom machinery solutions. Since entering the market in 2021, we’ve made it our mission to look for additions to our equipment offerings that will add more automation to ease the pain of assembling building components. We are committed to...

What’s inside your home today, and what will be on top of your house in the future, was or will have been handled by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). These are the small under-riding robots that carry all sorts of items from point A to B in plants or warehouses, eliminating manual...

Even though 500,000 prefab homes were built for World War II, builders were not committed to the prefabrication approach. But why not? These homes should have served as an entré to the future use of components by the hundreds of builders who constructed government housing in hundreds of...

Any given fall Sunday, we get to watch our favorite football team and, if we understand the sport, we can see what they do well and where they are lacking. Each game is full of statistics, and the statistics tell us where our team ranks in relation to previous games, other teams, past years, and...

A contract hauler drives in on a six-lane roadway, stops at predetermined locations, receives a full load of lumber and building supplies, and then heads out to a nearby jobsite. That driver has just passed through a warehouse that mimics the efficiency and abundant stocks of an Amazon.com...

While Sears had stolen the spotlight on precut technology, their lesser-known rival, Aladdin Homes, helped usher in prefabrication, but not initially. For many years, Aladdin fought the concept of pre-assembling parts of homes in their factory, asserting that their precut packages took...

When it comes to wall frame lines, they aren’t all made equally. At Spida Machinery, we pride ourselves on providing solutions that are comprehensive, innovative, and most importantly, designed for your manufacturing needs and budget. The beginning of the year is often a time to reflect...