Wall Panels
Wall Panels are produced in a controlled, indoor environment where waste is minimized and efficiency is high. Prefabricated wall panels also tend to be dimensionally more accurate since they are made with higher quality lumber from a large inventory of material the factory has its disposal. When using prefabricated walls, the field labor is reduced, and does not need to consist of all skilled carpenters.
Saws
Saw departments in wall panel plants frequently have a component saw to cut studs, and a specialized saw with a marking system to mark the plates to show stud locations. The predominance of 90 degree cuts means an inexpensive "chop saw" is all that's needed for smaller operations.
Wall Panel Production
Wall panel production is usually more involved than truss production. Frequently-used parts can be mass-produced ahead of time, assembly of walls is often aided by creating sub-component stations to build more complicated sections of walls in advance. Exterior walls require sheathing stations, and nailing patterns for sheathing vary with codes.
Bundles, Stacking, Banding, Shipping
The production manager needs to plan ahead so that individual panels can be combined into logical groups that are easy to install on site. Bundles may need include "fork lift holes" to allow them to be moved without damage. Because wall panels are "mostly air," it may take several loads to deliver a large job to the site.