As we start 2025, we have surpassed the 125th year of offsite wall technology, so it seems fitting to return to the beginning and describe its early progression. Surprisingly, this includes the Ready-Frame® technology that is currently being marketed by Builders FirstSource, as well as the...

The beginning of a new year is a great time to consider optimizing your production line, and Stiles Machinery is here to help. Stiles has been at the forefront of the United States woodworking industry for over six decades, partnering with manufacturers to provide efficiency-focused solutions...

Handling studs and plates to build walls is easy, but handling oversized sheets of OSB and sheathed wall panels is not. Fortunately, two inventors in the Midwest have lightened the load. Automated Sheathing Saw: Since he began his career at Monet DeSauw 30 years ago, David Ohnesorge has been...

After the wonderful success that was BCMC 2024, I decided to take a quick holiday…to Japan! Having never visited that fascinating country before, I was excited to see what I might find. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] While waiting in line for the Ubako and Owakudani...

WARNING: the following text is not intended for consumption by old-school fabricators and plant managers – especially those without a desire to evolve alongside new and developing technologies However, if you are showing any of the following symptoms, you are advised to read on...

With 2024 coming to a close, we look at the year that was and the years to come in equipment development. This past year saw our company bring out two new pieces of equipment in its product offering. These pieces were added to a line-up that already included our successful BCE-Gantry, BCE-Finish...

The Earliest Moment Frame Connections Approximately 150 years ago, steel framing revolutionized how buildings were constructed.[1] The proportionately strong material compared to its weight and size led to larger and taller “high-rise” buildings. Initially rivet and angle...

Plate markers, single tool bridges, and automated saws were just a few of the enhancements that filtered into wall panel shops at the Millennium. Their adoption was quickened by the consolidation of component manufacturers (CMs) and by the increasing pressure on all CMs by busy builders....

Coming in 2025 – Alpine is excited to announce the evolution of the Alpine Linear Saw (ALS) with the introduction of ALS 5.0. Building on over two decades of reliability, durability, and accuracy, this latest version continues Alpine’s proud tradition of innovation. [For all photos,...

Toll Brothers imported an automated panel line commensurate with their luxurious homes, or so they expected. Perhaps because the European economy was ailing in the early 1990s, Randek from Sweden, like the Makron company from Finland before them, offered Toll an excellent deal. But Randek was an...