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Component Manufacturing dverti$er
Adverti$er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
November 2017 #10220 Page #28
Is a Linear Saw Paired with Each Roof Truss Assembly Table a Magic Cure for the Best Lean System? A current trend in our industry is that the component manufacturers are being advised that one should have a fully automated lumber retrieval system linked to an automated linear saw that pushes the cut lumber directly to the assembly table with an auto puck system. This type of setup is often touted as being the best for truss assembly to lower the cost of labor and get the most from your investment. Well, is it really in all cases? Any of the different manufacturers’ equipment could be set up in this configuration. This setup involves a four-person team, with three on the table and one cutting. This system is frequently being hyped as the perfected just-in-time cut and assembly system. By the way, the just-in-time lean principle is one of the most often misunderstood and misapplied tools in lean terminology. Now, is this the best system for every condition? Is the just-in-time tool being used effectively? Labor savings is normally the biggest point of this four-man team configuration. So, how many people are you saving? Let us agree that any linear saw that is or is not linked to the truss table could be paired with an automated lumber retrieval system. Having one person on the linear saw is not the issue in this setup. It comes down to how many linear saws you have and the material movement toward each of the assembly workstations. Matching one linear saw for each assembly workstation is an expensive investment and needs further consideration of other factors. Nor is the factor of an auto puck system on the table a condition of this type of configuration. One could have auto pucks with or without this pairing of the linear saw with each workstation. Point #1 - Pairing the linear saw with each assembly table and using a chain or roller system to move the cut material to each assembly table will reduce the labor count by 1/3 of a person or 1/4 of a person. For example, if one would have a person moving the cut material using carts, one should expect this person to keep up with at least 3 or 4 build teams on a full-time basis. This means, so far, the true reduction is at best 1/3 of a single crew person. Point #2 - Where does the conveyor system position the cut lumber every time? Is it all along the span of the truss, so that each of the pieces requires only a few steps for placement and carts can be positioned with ease? An example is if the top and bottom chords (T1 & B1) are positioned on the left end of the span, and the last chords are positioned on the other end of the truss span, which would mean less walking and therefore fewer man-minutes per unit. Or is all the material being positioned in the center of the span, no matter the span of the truss, which would mean more walking and therefore more man-minutes per truss the longer the truss span? There is too much walking the longer the spans with this system. PHONE: 800-289-5627
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