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Component Manufacturing dverti$ dverti $ er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
Adverti$$er
October 2023 #15291 Page #35
How Do I Maintain Lumber Grade Qualifications When I Cut Off the Grade Stamp? By Glenn Traylor
T
he past twenty years have brought many changes to the Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Industry. These changes require manufacturing to change too, as the entire process continues to evolve and mature. Here is one situation where changes in manufacturing are necessary.
Not too long ago, component manufacturers were required to maintain lumber stamps and markings throughout the manufacturing process to provide validation that the lumber they were using met design requirements. Back in the day, fabricators would purchase specific lengths from lumber manufacturers in increments that made sense for their operation with this need in mind. This lumber would be cut on component saws and the boards were designed to maintain their grade stamps.
A generic lumber grade stamp
Importantly, the component manufacturer (CM) has been allowed to crosscut lumber without impacting the lumber grade if the lumber was marked as that grade. (A “marking” exception can be short lumber, but that’s another article.)
Examination of the process Today, with the advent of linear cutting, maintaining a lumber stamp is impractical if not virtually impossible. While this might be a disadvantage to grade traceability, the value the linear saw brings regarding higher yield and reduced labor makes the new problem worth the extra work. To maintain compliance with the ANSI/TPI 1 standards, lumber must be selected that meets or exceeds all eight properties that define the grade. (For more on this topic, see my December 2021 article, “Can I Substitute Lumber of Another Grade or Species?”) When weekly in-house inspections are made, inspectors should verify lumber grades.
Linear saws use longer lumber to increase yield but cut off grade marks in the process Continued next page
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