Product category:
Timber Buildings and Timber Products
News Release from: Wolf Systems
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 March 2008
Wolf Systems brings metal web
manufacture in-house
Wolf Systems has developed a machine to produce its easi-joist floor beams.
For the last five years, Wolf Systems has imported metal web products from Australia During this time, this UK operation has developed engineering software and technical materials, trained customers' staff, jointly developed a machine to produce the floor beams, and undertaken exhaustive testing procedures
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 15 Dec 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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As a result of these achievements, the easi-joist product gained full European Technical Approval, Irish Agrement Board approval and Robust Detail E-FT-3 in 2007.
Today, demand has increased to the point where it is now economic for the easi-joist webs to be manufactured at the company's premises in Coventry, West Midlands; increased shipping costs and currency fluctuations have made imports from Australia less attractive.
Wolf has invested over euro1 million in new tooling and a new 200-tonne Rhodes press to produce these components alongside the established nailplates.
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David Leaney Wolf UK's Managing Director explains, "Buying components from Australia allowed us to develop the product, gain technical knowledge and write our own software to support the product".
"At the same time, we developed a new market which sits very well with our nailplate business and perfectly complements roof truss and timber frame manufacture".
"The Wolf team at Coventry has been active in selling the floor system mainly through our existing manufacturers; 30 are now producing easi-joist, with sales increasing continuously".
"This move offers better quality control and allows us to manage stocks more efficiently".
"We see this floor system as a very fast-growing market; both timber frame and masonry housebuilders are changing over to easi-joist in the UK and Ireland".
What is easi-joist?.
easi-joists are parallel chord trusses which use stress-graded timber chords on flat or on edge.
These chords are plated together with a precision-engineered and precision-manufactured structural steel V-shaped component called the metal web.
When pressed together, using a 35-tonne head joist or truss press, they form the easi-joist.
The combination of steel webs and timber chords provides a very strong, lightweight floor joist which has an excellent span-to-depth ratio.
The system is popular in general housebuilding, timber frame construction; including apartments and industrial buildings where solid timber and concrete floors need to be replaced.
David adds "At the moment, the UK market is relatively small, yet the trend is for rapid growth as the easi-joist becomes more popular with housebuilders, contractors and specifiers".
"Whilst we are working with 30 manufacturers throughout the UK and Ireland, more interest is being shown in off-site production due to shortages of skilled craftsmen on site, and availability of timber supply in large sections.".
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