Since 1964 Edition 367 January 2002

Transcription

1 Since 1964 Edition 367 January 2002 The No. 1 International Housing Technology Transfer Magazine for Manufacturing and Marketing A Steel Truss Every 3 Minutes... A Steel Wall Panel Every 3 Minutes... Finn s Rosette System and Scienda Create High-Tech Lines

2 Technical Officer Howard Kuhn of Scienda Building Sciences, shows the steel collar fastening system which is the heart of the Rosette system. At the right is a sample of a punched hole which simply fits over the shallow extrusion and is then flared in a Rosette configuration to create a clinched joint between members. At the left is an end-flared pound-in bolt used in field erection. At the far left is a sample of a chord member, bottom, and a web joined with Rosette connectors as part of a truss. Finn s Rosette Machinery & Software Combined with American Ingenuity Create Scienda s Stelevar Steel Building System By Don O. Carlson, Editor & Publisher ORANGEBURG, SC From coils of galvanized steel to an engineered roof truss and an 8' wall panel each every 3 minutes. That s the high tech automated output of the Stelevar light gage steel systems by Scienda Building Sciences located here. As reported in Automated Builder in November, 2000, Rosette Systems, Helsinki, Finland, showed AB their remarkable breakthrough in light gage steel framing at the R&D building of Charles Cathcart, right, chairman and Dave Drescher, marketing director, pose in a display of Scienda wall panels, left, and flat chord roof truss, right. Not Just a New Way to Build - - It s the Right Way to Build - - Makron Engineering, Oy, in Lahti, Finland. We admittedly stood around with our mouth open in wonderment watching two coils of steel sail through two roll forming machines, one creating chords and one creating webs, onward to a pair of units that created the steel collar fastening devices then up to an assembly table manned by two people and finally through the final steel collar fastening bridge. At the time, this computer-controlled line was turning out an Kuhn and Drescher look over sample assembly of roof trusses showing mansard and other configurations including piggy-back trusses with an abbreviated wall panel at the bottom. Overall view of the wall panel fabrication line which starts with a coil of galvanized steel. Studs run down one roll former and channels (plates) on another. Men in center background are at the assembly table. Production lines for wall panels and trusses are said to run about $1.5 million each.

3 Close-up shows intricacy of complex roll former on the wall panel line. System makes walls from 3-1/2" to 12" thick and integrates L or box headers. engineered light gage steel truss about every five minutes. We inquired that if they could produce such a highly automated line for steel roof trusses why didn t they do the same thing for wall panels? The Finns, as creative as they are tight-lipped, made no reply. However, obviously, they were well underway in preparing a similar wall panel machine and today both the roof truss machine and the new wall panel assembly line are up and running at this Scienda plant, but a little better and a little faster. Have they reached Nirvana as yet in production? No. In fact, the officers at Scienda say they probably really won t hit their stride until about the end of the second quarter of this year. At the time we viewed the roof truss system in Finland our conclusion was that we may be looking at a new wave which is tomorrow s building system today. The reason Two men quickly assemble wall panels using spreading devices as well as a hand-held steel collar fastening tool developed by Scienda. Four men on wall panel line can produce about 1,800 lineal ft. of partition wall panels per day and 1,200 lin. ft. of mixed walls. Preformed studs with openings for electrical in the field and punched holes at the ends move up to conveyor heading for assembly table. being: While wood, a lovely but organic material, does not particularly lend itself to highspeed automated manufacturing technology, steel certainly does. Which is why we probably see more cars on the road made out of steel than wood. To its credit, Scienda Building Sciences, in the process of developing a lean manufacturing capability, was already headed down the path of automated steel construction itself when they uncovered the Rosette System. Immediately recognizing the potential of integrating the automated Rosette lines into their own plans. Scienda purchased Rosette s demonstration truss line and their first wall panel line. Since then, Scienda has collaborated with Rosette and Rosettes s vendors to fine tune, and speed up, and improve both manufacturing lines to meet Scienda s exacting requirements. Beyond the Rosette technology, Scienda has engi- Overall view of roof truss line shows steel coil heading through roll former toward assembly area top right. Line is operated by three men and produces 20 roof trusses per hour.

4 Close-up shows steel collar extrusions just before steel sheet enters roll former. One roll former makes roof truss chords, another makes webs. neered significant additional processes, products and procedures to enable Scienda to lead steel construction into the new century, with enhancements like: integrated, computer-aided design and engineering; streamlined assembly methods; innovative brackets to facilitate on-site installation; improved connection forming tools; on-site erection training and support services; dedication to backing of their revolutionary products with first-class customer service. Today, according to Scienda Chairman Dr. Charles D. Cathcart, Scienda is furnishing sophisticated steel framing systems branded under the name Stelevar to about a dozen customers throughout the southeast and as far south as Miami, FL. The system includes floor trusses, flat chord roof trusses, pitched roof trusses and wall and floor panels. Cathcart also explained Pneumatic spreading device is used to open tough chord members slightly to allow inserting of tube-shaped webs so they will snap onto Rosette flanges. Completed light gage steel trusses are rigid. Rick Virello, left, vice president of operations, consults with operator Ozie Thompson at one of the control screens at the roof truss line. Wall panel line also is equipped with computer screens to show configuration of components being manufactured. that Scienda has developed a proprietary floor panel system, about 4" thick steel framed, and made with a unique honeycomb core which provides sufficient strength to perhaps replace lightweight concrete floor systems now used in some high rise structures. In all Scienda operates in a complex of modern manufacturing buildings and offices with 135,000 sq. ft. on a 70-acre site. The firm currently employs about 60 persons including plant, office and sales staff. In manufacturing operations seemingly more akin to aircraft than home production, Scienda has recruited an impressive staff equal to the high-tech challenges. For example, Chairman Cathcart is a Ph.D. in Economics and formerly president Citicorp s International Trading Co. Chief Technology Officer, Howard Kuhn, also is Entire pre-assembled truss is automatically transported to a bridge where computer-contolled bits, resembling chamfer bits, find all connections and flair extrusions around holes to create the steel collar fastening. Each fastening point is said to be stronger than six screws.

5 Quality control technician Quentin Wilson records measurements and connection dimensions on completed trusses as they leave the line. Tolerances in all steel components are within 25,000th of an inch, similar to aircraft construction. End view of trusses shows unique, high strength configuration of chords and steel collar fastening connection to tube-shaped webs. With steel it s virtually a no-waste system. a Ph.D., a P.E., and was co-founder of Concurrent Technologies Corp., a spin-off of the of University of Pittsburgh where he was a professor. CTC grew to more than 1,200 employees and handled in-depth consulting for major U.S. corporations and government agencies. Vice President of Operations Rick Virello had upper level management positions in high-tech metal manufacturing and two start-ups. Director of Marketing David Drescher was previously executive vice president of marketing worldwide for Fruit of the Loom. Scienda also has an impressive cadre of college trained computer techies capable of understanding why and how the software systems control the high speed, sophisticated automated manufacturing lines. Experienced CAD administrator is Adam Beck. What do they consider the advantages of the light gage steel framing systems they are currently producing? Kuhn is quick to answer. You ve got to realize that what we are dealing with in this system is accurate to 25,000ths of an inch. I believe that is unheard of in the normal home manufacturing operations, even where they are deeply involved in factory fabrication but still primarily with wood framing. Kuhn also points out that not only does the company produce steel framing components Controls techinicians Sam Whisenhunt, left and Mike Hughes review programing for proper line operation. Scienda also manufactures a proprietary steel framed floor panel made with a high strength honeycomb core. Panels are said to be strength equivalent to poured concrete floors but are considerably lighter.

6 which an aircraft manufacturer would appreciate, but they also assist and even train the erectors in the field as required. For example, before a project proceeds too far, Scienda representatives meet with the company to be sure that the slab or foundation is going to be capable of meeting the precise dimensional tolerances being produced in the factory. Scienda representatives then are on the scene helping the builders learn the erection techniques. The erection itself, according to Kuhn, goes considerably faster than with other systems thanks to the accuracy of the components and the snaptogether brackets provided by Scienda. Kuhn explained that the Rosette steel collar fastening system in itself is something of a construction miracle because of the way it joins the parts. In essence, one member has a hole in it to receive a slightly raised extrusion matching the hole in the other member. In fabrication (see AB September 2000) the extrusion is flared in a cold weld around the hole. It is said that a single Rosette steel collar fastening has greater strength than six self-tapping screws in the same location. What we eliminate in this final steel collar fastening system, says Kuhn, is the chance for human error. When these trusses or wall panels meet the final fabrication area where the steel collar fastening occurs it is all precision controlled by computers with no human hands involved and no chance for human error. Kuhn also explains that at the end of the production line for both the steel trusses and the wall panels quality control technicians measure the completed components as well as the prescribed distance between fastenings to insure that they meet tolerances either dead-on or within 20,000th of an inch accuracy. Strength of Rosette connections also are routinely checked by Scienda s testing laboratory. Kuhn says he believes their system out performs anything else in the construction industry by a significant margin. For example, he observes, there s no set-up time and there are no jigs for either wall panels or roof trusses because they are already programmed into the computer. And there is no welding time and no screws. In the field, the system snaps together very quickly thereby saving considerable labor cost as well as interest cost on construction loans. Kuhn says you end up with a house, for example, that will handle up to 160 m.p.h. winds and seismic shocks as high as 6.5 on the Richter Scale. The Taj Mahal, a single section HUD-Code home so named because of its $350,000 cost. It was made with unusually heavy materials inside such as tile floors, thick granite counter tops and a marble shower plus giant sized furniture. Idea was to test the company s floor panels under great weight. Unit traveled 600 miles with no drywall cracks. Drawings of brackets and snap-together fastening hardware designed by Scienda to speed field erection of steel framing.

7 It s also, according to Dave Drescher, director of marketing, a much more friendly system environmentally. We re not cutting down 40 or 50 trees to build a house. Vendors just melt down six old automobiles to furnish the sufficient steel for the coils to build a home. And, you get the obvious advantages of no wood-eating insects and less probability of dangerous mold and mildew inside the walls of the house. While Scienda has only been in the steel framing business since last August for roof trusses and October for wall panels, the customers they have served have been extremely complimentary about the quality of the products they get as well as the professional level of service they ve received at the job site. Several contractors have commented that they were a little nervous in taking on a new system of this type, but were pleasantly surprised with how well everything turned out. Among the major builders they ve worked with is Lincoln Contractors Inc., Dallas, building some apartments in the southeast. Lincoln is said to be one of the biggest owners and builders of rental properties across the U.S. Scienda also has maintained a no blinders philosophy regarding their business. For example, when faced with a challenge to help a company with a stalled Type 5 construction project, Scienda rose to the occasion by putting in awelding line as required by Type 5. And, the panel welding fabrication, while requiring four times the men for about a third of the panel output, still is giving the customers what they wanted. Also, when faced with the need to test their high strength floor panel built with honeycomb cores, Scienda did not hesitate but built a super heavy HUD-Code home single section measuring about 14'-wide X 40'-long. Inside, they furnished the unit with furniture befitting the Jolly Green Giant plus a kitchen island counter with a marble top 2" thick and about 10' long and a bathroom outfitted with no less than a thick marble shower. Off the top of the head estimates were that the unit weighs about 80,000 lbs. They drove it down the highway for over 600 miles and found that no cracks occurred in the drywall. Walking through the structure you get the impression that you re on a slab of 2' thick concrete. While the fine tuning will continue on both the roof truss machine and the wall panel machine, a new machine designed to make the floor panels has recently been delivered. Cathcart and Kuhn also explained that, oddly enough, production of a home is a more challenging construction project than a commercial building. While most commercial structures are fairly uncomplicated squares or rectangles with flat roofs, residences today are infinitely more complex in floor plans and the varieties of trusses required for the roof. Nevertheless, the officers believe that the computer-control of all of the machinery means the complex home plan is still not much of a challenge to their computer software or production machinery. One nice thing about this computer and digital control of the manufacturing operation, says Cathcart, is that if a truss is somehow damaged at a job site, they can call us in the morning and a replacement truss can be selected from the computer, run through the manufacturing operation and be delivered to them probably the same afternoon. The company also has been approached by foreign nations seeking disaster replacement housing as well as conventional housing, particularly in tropical climates where wood construction often is not desired. Asked whether they felt the company would ever be stock piling panels, they observed that it might be possible down the road for emergency shelters or things like garden sheds for retail distribution. Chairman Cathcart concludes, One of our marketing taglines in which we believe goes like this: We are not out to change the world - - just the way it s built. Copyright Reprinted from the January 2002 Edition of Automated Builder Magazine with the permission by the publisher.

8 Rosette Systems Ltd., is your single-source supplier for Roof Truss And Wall Panel Production Lines, including the strong, Patented Steel Collar Rosette Connection U-Shaped Truss Line 50 by 160 feet (15 by 48 meters) The Rosette Truss line is capable of producing trusses with max. dimensions of 50 in length and 14 in height (from bottom chord to ridge). Longer trusses can be made in multiple parts or the line may be made in custom length. Material from 20 to 16 gauge can be processed. Rosette trusses with 3.5 chords can be engineered to span up to feet. A truss using 2.5 Rosette chords may be designed for foot spans. Open-web joists also can be produced in any height up to 50 feet long depending on engineering requirements. The productivity of the line is about 3,500 lineal feet of custom-built trusses per 8-hour shift. Straight flow-through Wall Line 43 by 240 feet (13 by 73 meters) Rosette Wall Panel Line is capable of producing panels in 22 to 16 gauge material and forming members from 2.5 to 8. A typical line would be designed to make max. 14 feet tall and 16 foot long panels. You may also specify the line to build maximum transportable length panels. There are alternative wall lines available to meet your special needs. A MultiStory Rosette Line can process 12 gauge studs for stronger load-bearing walls. This line can produce members up to 14 deep for floor or roof panels and can make big diameter collared utility openings. USA Kimmo J Sahramaa, Partner Rosette Systems, Ltd S. Shore Rd. Reston, VA Ph: Fax: kimmo.sahramaa@rosettesystems.com USA-Latin America Niilo J. Kokkarinen, Partner Rosette Southwest, Inc 3076 High Ridge Dr. Grapevine, TX Ph: Fax: nillo.kokkarinen@rosettesystems.com FINLAND Juha Arola, Vice President Rosette Systems, Ltd. Vihdintie 32 FIN Nummela Finland juha.arola@rosettesystems.com