In today’s fast-paced frame and truss manufacturing environments, efficiency and waste reduction are paramount. Traditional production methods often fall short in meeting the demands of modern businesses, paving the way for Real-Time Optimization (RTO) and Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery to...

Lumber is mission-critical to every component manufacturer (CM). On average, it represents two-thirds of your cost-of-goods (CoG), roughly half of the value of your product (Revenue – Pretax Profit). So, what are the market dynamics that surround the purchase of lumber? And how can your...

Should we cull lumber at the saw? That is the question posed by Joe Kannapell, P.E. in The Last Word in the July issue, “Where to Cull Lumber.” As Joe discusses: “So where in the process should we cull lumber? To minimize touches, it can be done when the bands are broken on a...

The component manufacturing industry, specifically of roof and floor trusses, is undergoing significant transformation. To delve deeper, we spoke with Todd Drummond, a seasoned expert and long-time consultant with extensive knowledge and experience in the field of truss manufacturing. You can...

Oftentimes, MiTek engineers are asked what plate embedment tolerance is allowed for metal connector plates in wood trusses. Chapter 3 of the ANSI/TPI 1 (National Design Standard for Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Construction) addresses the tolerance for metal connector plate tooth...

It is that time of year again. With just two months until BCMC 2024 in Milwaukee, WI, here is some BCMC homework as you begin considering capital expenditures (CapEx). It is crucial to go beyond just the financial metrics like ROI and take into account several qualitative factors. And yes, all...

In the truss industry, camber refers to the gradual curvature of a chord member either naturally occurring or created to alleviate the natural deflection of a truss structure. That sounds simple enough, but there are key elements about camber that should be considered. Camber in Action All...

We’ve reached July and BCMC in Milwaukee, WI is only three months away. Whether you’re planning on traveling to Milwaukee or not, I highly recommend that you take the time to make time to attend our upcoming Feed the Beast truss plant tour! [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full...

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” – Ralph Nichols, American psychologist and communication theorist, often referred to as the “Father of...

Component manufacturers have long been in search of “any practical technology that can lessen rejects”[1] when fabricating trusses from our imperfect supply of lumber. New machines and processes have increased material throughput, but they have also increased the time lost when...