Laser projections systems are the most prevalent “high tech” solution seen in truss manufacturing operations today. Originally Lacey Harmer and Virtek Vision were partners in developing laser projection technology for the component manufacturing industry in North America. They eventually went their separate ways; Virtek remains while Lacey Harmer sold their business to SL Laser, a small family run business based in Germany. The first laser jigging system was installed November 23, 1991 at Alpa Truss in Maple, Ontario. Here's some information about the development of Virtek lasers since then:
Since the beginning, lasers have been coupled with software to allow users to visualize where the truss will be set up on the table. The first lasers (1993) had a 14’ wide coverage area and were only offered in red. In 1996, microchips were added to the laser projectors enabling them to operate independently of the computer and thus run faster in larger systems. Virtek patented "icon menus" to allow the operation of the projection system directly from the table using reflective “wands” and thus speeding up response time considerably.
In 2002, with the introduction of the LPS-6R models, each projector could cover a 20' area for the first time. These first ‘20 foot models’ had larger galvanometers, large mirrors, and significant cooling challenges. In 2007, the LPS-7 Projector was introduced. These had smaller galvanometers and correspondingly less challenges keeping cool while providing better images (less flicker). A separate door was added to enable the green laser producing element to be replaced much more easily. Green lasers are generally considered to be easier to see in most production environments, but also have a somewhat shorter lifespan than red ones do.
Some plants are unable to use lasers because of low ceiling heights. Today's lasers need to be placed between 15'3" and 16' above the table top for optimal coverage. Plants with lower ceiling heights can still use lasers by mounting the lasers into the trusses or simply using a larger number of lasers.
About half of the plants that use lasers put the computer running the Virtek software in the office, half in the plant near the table. Putting the computer in the obviously office is better for the computer. The choice really depends on who is going to do the work of configuring the trusses on the table using the computer, and perhaps how far the office is from the production floor. Only one computer is needed per line, regardless of how many jig stations or projectors there are. If you buy Planx, MiTek’s auto-jigging system, the Virtek software can drive both the lasers and the Planx.
Laser popularity is easy to understand. Many manufacturers report cutting setup times by more than half and overall throughput by 25%.
