Summary
• Metal-web demand is driving sales of AV?Birch’s Uni-Roll machine.
• A new version produces joists up to a depth of 750mm.
• ITW?has installed a new testing rig.
• It will soon launch the Cullen Universal hanger and metal-web SpaceRafter.

The decline in housebuilding may have reduced demand for roof truss machinery but manufacturers and suppliers have adapted their products and services to meet customers’ changing requirements.

AV Birch Ltd has definitely experienced lower demand for roof truss machinery, traditionally a large part of the company’s sales, but other areas have proved more resilient.

“There’s been a very healthy demand for Uni-Roll machines for producing open-web joists and rafters, whose sales continue to grow in a static market,” said managing director Alan Ritchie. “Some have been sold to companies already making these products and looking to grow production, and some are to companies looking to add new products.”

New machine

Following the success of the Uni-Roll 450, which produces all common joist depths from 195-450mm, AV Birch has developed the Uni-Roll 750. The new machine allows joists and rafters to be made in multiples up to a total depth of 750mm.

“To achieve the additional width the mechanical clamping system had to be completely redesigned and developed,” said Mr Ritchie. “Rather than have all the mechanical moving and operating components above the table, they were moved below which means there is a clearer working table for the operators and the machine width is only slightly larger than the 450 machine.”

The 750 version offers higher production than the Uni-Roll 450. Another benefit is that the clamping operates over the size range, eliminating the need for spacers or packers on smaller depths, and it is continuous along the full length. The system is so successful that AV Birch is now introducing it on the Uni-Roll 450.

The Uni-Roll 750 was largely developed after an enquiry from Minera Roof Trusses. Managing director Mike Whea was interested in manufacturing open-web joists and asked AV Birch about the Uni-Roll 450.

“He was very impressed with the build quality, clamping and production speed but wanted a 750mm-wide machine to allow joists to be made in tandem across the width of the table,” said Mr Ritchie. “We’d already thought about a wider machine and had designed a clamping system that would travel from fully open at 750mm width down to 185mm without the need for additional spacers.”

Once the new machine was made, Minera staff trialled some joist orders on it at AV Birch’s factory.

“Mike anticipated that the work they had to do would take until around lunchtime. All of it was completed by 10am!” said Mr Ritchie.

Maintenance upturn

AV Birch has more orders for the 750 but, while some fabricators are buying new machines, others are paying more attention to maintaining old equipment.

“We’ve seen an increased level of servicing and repair work to older machinery as companies tried to save costs during the early part of the industry downturn,” said Mr Ritchie. “Some machines hadn’t been maintained properly so they’d become less reliable and efficient. In some cases they required extensive repair work to prolong their use.

“Proactive servicing and maintenance is always a better long-term option than reactive repairs which can affect customer service because of poor reliability and quality, as well as increased downtime and costs.”

AV Birch has also enhanced its service with accreditation from SAFEContractor, which recognises high standards of health and safety practice among UK contractors.

Test facility

ITW Industry has also been investing and developing new products. It has installed a new £54,000 testing rig at its industrial facility in Glenrothes, where it is testing products to be CE marked. A 40ft timber conditioning chamber has also been added to prepare timber before testing with ITW products.

Among the products to be tested on the rig are Cullen timber engineered connectors, Alpine nailplates in tension, and beams and joists up to 6m long.

The first product out of the new facility will be the Cullen UH (Universal Hanger) which will be launched next month. The UH is designed to simplify ITW’s hanger range and will replace four existing hangers – the U, the LUI, the TFI and the FFI.

“One of the criteria was to at least meet the same loading capacities of all the existing hangers it is replacing,” said marketing manager Tim Widdershoven, adding that the UH?will reduce the number of hangers that customers need to stock, pick and handle on site.

It’s the same philosophy that was applied to the Cullen JHI masonry range which was introduced last year. ITW says that it’s the only hanger on the market that can be used for roof trusses, solid timber, open web and I-joists.

ITW has also recently previewed the SpaceRafter. It is similar to the company’s SpaceJoist and incorporates the same metal webs between timber chords. It provides deep insulation voids and accommodates longer spans than solid timber rafters. It can be used either loose or as part of a roof cassette.

“We’re getting good enquiries and expect it to be very popular particularly because of the trend for 2.5-storey houses with a room in the roof,” said Mr Widdershoven.

The first SpaceRafter projects are under way: Tymba Frame Systems has supplied the product for Cornwall College’s St Mellion Travel & Tourism Academy, while Stoneleigh Timber of Trowbridge fabricated 245 SpaceRafters for a large extension to Matravers School in Westbury.

Growing demand for metal-web joists was one reason for Rawle Gammon & Baker purchasing a new Randek SP728 cross-cut saw from ITW. It replaces two EOT saws that were cutting timber for trussed rafters, SpaceJoist and timber frame.