New TPI Initiative: Software-Equipment "Plug-and-Play"

Editor’s Note: SBCA, in conjunction with the Truss Industry Business Council, is pleased to support TPI in its efforts to broaden its scope as an industry association to better represent its membership and undertake new initiatives. 

SBCA looks forward to collaborating with TPI to address industry issues through engagement with SBCA’s various committees and councils, including its IT Committee and its recent efforts to address machinery data communication. Below is a TPI press release announcing their expansion through a broader scope.

TPI, historically known as the Truss Plate Institute, announced at BCMC that it is broadening its scope of sound engineering to include technology and machinery to better reflect its member’s business interests, their contributions to the building industry and in support of component manufacturers' businesses. 

This broadening of scope for TPI is in part an outgrowth of discussions between TPI and its industry partner, SBCA, on how the two associations can best serve the best interest of the entire structural building component industry and enhance component manufacturers’ (CM) businesses.  In support of TPI’s broadened scope, TPI is actively pursuing an initiative to address a very immediate industry issue, the need for more efficient and timely communication between new manufacturing equipment and truss design and management software.

TPI is looking to bring suppliers together to get a better understanding of this need and to develop the necessary best practices, and guidelines that will enable more efficient data exchange between equipment for the component manufacturing industry.  An enhanced level of software/machine interface will afford component manufacturers greater flexibility for investing in technology solutions which will benefit suppliers, component manufacturers and the industry.  It is hoped that the solutions that will come out of this initiative will allow for a more “plug-and-play” capability for the supplier’s customers.  The first step for suppliers though, is to have a common understanding of the issues and to agree to a common approach to solve this “plug-and-play” issue (click on the image at left to learn more).

Join TPI member companies (MiTek, Alpine, Simpson Strong-Tie, Eagle Metal, and Cherokee Metal) along with other suppliers that have signed up to begin to address this industry need.  Contact TPI and sign up to come together and develop a project methodology, scope, timelines, and deliverables.  The goal is to recruit and install this team of interested parties by mid-December 2018 so they can begin work in earnest in the early part of 2019.  To join in the initiative just follow this link; www.tpinst.org/initiatives ; and sign up today.

TPI member companies are committed to this initiative and together we will bring a greater level of technology innovation and flexibility to the industry. 

Sign up here to be a part of the solution!

 www.tpinst.org/initiatives

Supplier companies that have already signed up: