Lean Manufacturing

Our manufacturing layout maximizes efficiency, increasing responsiveness through quicker cycle times and decreased movement. Within our plant, lumber moves in only one direction, traveling in straight lines. In virtually every case, once the lumber reaches our Lumber Storage and Retrieval System (LSRS) [LSRS PDF & Video], it travels from saw to assembly, out the door and on to a delivery truck without ever crossing a different job.

Our two LSRS allow us to utilize cubic space. This means every stick of our #2 SYP lumber can be stored, sorted and accessed in a horizontal and vertical space. This ensures that 80% of all the lumber stored at our facility is no more than 25 feet from the saw it's cut at, maximizing storage space while minimizing travel time and wasted movement. The ergonomic design of the LSRS also allows a crew of one to man each machine, enables them to retrieve lumber without ever having to lift a single piece, and, at peak, has been able to attain through-put rates of over 5000 sticks of lumber per shift. Our hydraulic roller-conveyor system also allows for swift and accurate delivery of lumber to each saw as it is needed.

The lumber for the roof trusses travel through one of our two Servo Omni saws. Depending on which Omni they are cut by, determines which of the two lines of three 70-foot mono press stations they get delivered to-all in an effort to increase efficiency and eliminate cross-over of lumber. In addition, all of our roof truss geometry is guaranteed accurate by the Virtek laser guide systems. The lumber for the floor trusses are cut on a Depaw saw, the webs are cut on a Monet saw, and delivered to one of four floor truss machines. We also have one Pacific Automation Auto 14 press. Our Auto 14 line combines a Koscovich MatchPoint" PLANX Precision Automated Jigging system with our paperless ProjecTek Visual Design to give us the latest automated manufacturing solution in the industry today. In addition, we have two Pacific Automation Mini 8 tables fed by a Hundegger linear saw for work on specialized components and unusually sized or shaped trusses.