Construction robotics company Canvas recently announced that Daley’s Drywall & Taping Inc. and Nevell Group, Inc. have both signed multi-machine, multi-year leases to strategically ensure they have priority access to Canvas worker-operated drywall finishing machines, giving them an edge over their competitors, as posted on Construction Dive.
Daley’s Drywall and NGi, both cold-formed steel (CFS) framing contractors and members of the Steel Framing Industry Association, will independently operate Canvas’s ground-breaking robots on their job sites.
”We very clearly see the writing on the wall for the future of the drywall finishing industry,” says Jonathan Hughes, vice president at Daley’s Drywall. “And it tells us that we need to embrace automation sooner than later, as in right now.”
Drywall Finishing in 40 Percent Less Time
Recent industry news points to a series of challenges facing the construction trades, such as skilled labor shortages, rising wages and lower productivity, which Canvas finishing machines can help address.
The company says its machines consistently deliver projects in 40 percent less time than those that use traditional drywall-finishing processes.
Daley’s Drywall: Focusing on Safety and Quality
Daley’s is using Canvas machines to achieve both Level 5 and Level 4 finishes.
“We have used the machine on multiple projects, focusing on its safety and quality benefits,” Hughes says. “Now, with the machine capable of doing both Level 4 and Level 5, it opens up more opportunities for us to increase utilization.”
Canvas recently announced its machine’s ability to do a Level 4 Targeted Spray. A company release states that Level 4 Targeted Spray makes drywall finishing safer and more predictable.
Nevell Group: Improving Project Efficiencies
Nevell Group, also a California-based drywall contractor, recently completed the drywall scope on the $174 million Sunnyvale Civic Center Modernization Phase I project for Hensel Phelps Construction using a Canvas machine. NGi had also piloted with the Canvas team at the San Francisco International Airport Harvey Milk Terminal 1.
“The quality of finish that this machine produces is outstanding,” says Andrew Cameron, project manager at Hensel Phelps.
Cameron says the Canvas machines make the drywall finishing process more predictable. NGi CEO Chris Taylor says that contractors face a number of issues, including diminishing ROI on jobs, due to increased labor and material costs, and supply chain issues.
“In this environment, NGi is going to look at every possible opportunity to improve project efficiencies and outcomes,” Taylor says. “The Canvas machines enable us to take on more work without compromising safety and quality, and while also helping us retain and attract new skilled workers to the trade.”
About Canvas
Canvas is a construction robotics company whose mission is to enable people to build in bold new ways. The Canvas system provides a flexible approach to drywall finishing, combining the skills and expertise of trained union workers with technology that consistently delivers the high quality finishes. Visit Canvas online at www.canvas.build.
Leasing Robots Is a Strategic Move
Chris Peterson, chief revenue officer at Canvas, says the current construction environment makes leasing the Canvas machines a strategic move. He says owners are increasingly looking to contractors to reign in costs and boost productivity.
“The surest way to do that is by embracing automation as predictability in labor costs, availability and quality are a concern,” Peterson says.
As enterprise lease signers, Daley’s and NGi will be first in line to receive additional machines as they are produced, Peterson says.
“It’s a decision that will pay off quickly as news about the construction industry’s labor, cost and productivity outlook continues to paint a pretty dark picture,” he says. “Technology and innovation, as Daley’s and NGi know, can help immensely.”
The Steel Framing Advantage
Cold-formed steel (CFS) leads the way as the preferred framing material for prefabricated structures for multiple reasons. CFS is:
- A pre-engineered material that can be cut to exact lengths
- Dimensionally stable and does not expand or contract with changes in moisture content
- Lightweight compared to wood and concrete
- Resilient and will not warp, split, crack or creep when exposed to the elements
- Sustainable and 100% recyclable
- Durable and has a high tensile strength
- Non-combustible and is a safeguard against fire accidents
Additional Resources
- Steel Framing Contractors Use Robots and Other Tech for Tough Tasks
- Robots Have an Increasingly Important Role in Construction
- 5 Reasons to Use Cold-Formed Steel on Building Projects