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MANUFACTUIRING » Truss Tech Ltd
Business South
Automation drives Truss Tech growth Kelly Deeks Central Otago truss and frame manufacturer Truss Tech has made its clients’ schedules and its staff’s wellbeing top priorities with recent additions to the workshop improving efficiencies and reducing labour intensity. Proudly locally owned and operated in Cromwell, Truss Tech manufactures timber wall frames and roof trusses to its clients’ specifications, and sends them to building sites all around the South Island. Truss Tech provides a full range of services, from the initial quote right through to postproduction support. In addition to manufacturing pre-nailed wall frames and roof trusses, other services include obligation-free quotes, wall frame and roof truss designs, in accordance to client specifications, producer statements to accompany building consent applications, onsite meetings or site measures, as required, and supply of wall frame and roof truss fixings, and loose timber, as requested. Truss Tech designs and manufactures its frames and trusses using the latest in software and technology, including a design programme provided by Pryda, which specialises in making the most effective and efficient use of timber in construction. The company’s Pryda AutoWall, an efficient, single operator, automated nailing system, was the only one of its kind in New Zealand when it was purchased in 2015. It changed Truss Tech from a manual to an automated system and dramatically improved both consistency and efficiency.
The AutoWall uses synchronised servo drive control to move the top and bottom plates to their correct positions. The use of drive wheels and the constant contact clamping ensures the plates are positioned without the operator checking for position. It means that there is no lost time in waiting for the pushers to return to their next position before starting the next wall frame. It also means the maximum length of wall frame that can be produced is almost limitless “The AutoWall is working exactly as it should be and has enabled us to increase our capacity by about 30%,” says Truss Tech manager Matt Ludemann. “As the job progresses, the machine sends the information back to the office so we can see exactly how long it’s going to take. “This allows us to give our clients a better idea of when their job will be finished. “The AutoWall will do the same amount of work each day, no matter who is operating it, and the automation has helped us to reduce the stress and strain on our workshop staff.” This was a key concern for Truss Tech and at the same time as purchasing the AutoWall, the company also had a tilt table installed so any manual building work could be done at waist height, rather than on the floor. “Health and safety wise it’s good, but it wasn’t a prerequisite - it was a good way for us to look after our guys,” Matt says. “We had it made locally by Murdoch Weldrite, we gave them a design and they did it to the millimetre, it was really good.” Truss Tech has been owned by Paul Robertson
Truss Tech manufactures timber wall frames and roof trusses to its clients’ specifications, and sends them to building sites all around the South Island. and his wife Nicky for 13 years, supplying to a range of customers including housing companies, individual builders, and architects. Paul is supported in the design office by Greg Meek, and Matt says the two are amongst the best truss and frame designers in New Zealand. “As such, our customer service is second to none,” he says. “
Paul and Greg both have huge knowledge of New Zealand’s building industry, and all the advice they can offer our clients is just part of Truss Tech’s service.” The Truss Tech team is now 11 strong in the factory, and seven in the office, and the company is capable of putting out a couple of building’s worth of frames and trusses every day.
Pryda New Zealand A Division of ITW New Zealand Ltd
Pryda is a proud supporter of Truss Tech Ltd, providing them the leading innovated 3D Software packages for the manufacture of frames and trusses to the New Zealand building industry. We are pleased to be a New Zealand home grown timber fixing company that is still a leader in our field after 50 years.
PO Box 305290, Triton Plaza, North Shore 0757 | 8 Orbit Drive, Rosedale, Auckland Freephone 0800 88 22 44 | Freefax 0800 277 932 | www.pryda.co.nz