Views from BCMC 2021 - Frame Building News

By Karen Knapstein

Fireproofing is a hot topic, as evidenced by the heavy traffic at the Global Fireproof Solutions booth. Sales representative Mike Treadwell said one of the biggest draws of their service is it doesn’t reduce the strength of the wood. www.GlobalFire.us

The purpose of the Truss Plate Institute is to develop and maintain the design standard for metal plate connected wood truss construction. TPI members include MiTek, Alpine, Cherokee, Simpson Strong-Tie, and Eagle. One of the TPI goals is to get the industry involved in writing the standard. www.tpinst.org

FrameGuard, from Arxada (formerly part of Lonza), is a surface treatment designed to protect lumber, panels, and engineered wood from termites, decay, and mold. It’s from the same people who bring Wolmanized Wood to the market. www.frameguardwood.com

At the invitation of the Structural Building Components Association, (SBCA), I represented Frame Building News, attending the Building Components Manufacturers Conference, (BCMC) trade show at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Oct. 6-7. It was the event’s 40th anniversary. And, since the host city is also the host of the College World Series, BCMC incorporated a baseball theme throughout the show and adopted the tagline ‘Component World Series’.

I wasn’t able to speak with everyone, but over the course of my stay, I spoke with dozens of manufacturers. Seeing the equipment in action, including machines that are used to make roof and floor trusses to maximize the labor force available and minimize waste, made for an interesting couple of days.

“With over 825 registrants pouring through 92 exhibitor booths spread out over 55,530 square feet, it was crystal clear the component manufacturing industry is experiencing very strong demand for its products and services,” says Sean Shields, the director of communications for SBCA, which puts on BCMC. “This show floor highlighted many of the latest advancements in fabrication equipment and software available to help manufacturers improve the quality and performance of their framing packages. Similarly, the education sessions focused on the trends shaping this industry, from accurately assessing automation ROI to the integration of field labor, manufactured framing, and building design.”