Embracing new technologies can cut costs and boost production.

A lot has changed in the timber business in the past 30 years. New technology and advancements in machinery mean that manufacturers and fabricators can produce more products more efficiently while also reducing cost and waste

Gold Coast Timbers & Trusses is a manufacturer of quality pre-nailed timber frames, trusses and floor trusses, a supplier of engineered floor systems, timber framing (treated and untreated timber), flooring, cladding, blue board, hardware and fixtures, timber posts, and landscaping supplies. The business has been around for 26 years, employs 35 staff and supply customers as far afield as Sydney and North Queensland.

Around 10 years ago, the company owners began looking into the new linear-style saws.

“Gold Coast Timbers & Trusses has been a customer of ours since about 2008,” says Caitlyn Plewright from Vekta Advanced Automation. “They were a little doubtful when they first started looking at our saw and they did a great deal of research into other saws at that time.”

The Gold Coast team eventually brought a whole load of timber out to where the Vekta crew had set up a demonstration Razer saw, with the intention of running a job through the saw and timing it.

“We did this, but I was able to convince them to try some of the more advance optimising options included in the saw,” Plewright says. “After addressing their concerns, they gave it a go and loved it.”

Co-owner Glenn Ferguson, who runs the business with his father and brother, says that another reason they chose the Razer was because of its small footprint.

“Also the fact that we could get service in Australia,” he says. “Knowing that we could get it up and operational rapidly if something went wrong.”

The benefits to the business became apparent immediately.

“It’s time-saving at both the cutting level and at manufacturing level,” Ferguson says. “There’s a waste disposal saving, and there’s the benefit of timber optimisation. It’s a cost saver as well as being a much safer option.

“There are a lot of benefits to using this saw. We ended up with production benefits as well – I’d say it boosted production by about 12 percent.”

The Gold Coast team recently installed a second Razer to help cater to the recent increase in volumes they are producing.

“We bought the second to move all of our cutting onto the Razor saws,” Ferguson says.

“New optimising options are added to the saw as Vekta develops them. The improvements in the software are ongoing, and have provided benefits years after we purchased the saw.”

Ferguson and his team have become great fans of the Vekta Razer, and recommend its use to other businesses.

“Now, one of the main suggestions they give to plants moving towards a linear saw for the first time is to be open to completely drop the way they did things traditionally and let the technology work for you,” Plewright says. “Over the years they’ve become very good customers.”

To find out more about the Vekta Razer, head to vekta.com.au

For more on Gold Coast Timbers & Trusses head to gctt.com.au