Automation guide / Levels of automation

Levels of automation

Find the right level of automation for your factory

Whether you need a fully automated, semi-automated or manual solution, we’ll help you find the right level of automation for your factory. Randek designs the production system for offsite and prefab house manufacturing: from manual tables and saws, through semi-automatic lines, to complete robotic production of walls, floors and roof trusses.

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1943
Swedish engineering since
40
countries on four continents
1,000,000+
housing projects built on a Randek line
The four levelsMachines per levelExisting factoryTimber and steelFrom CAD to machineQuestionsIntroduction to automation →
Four levels

Where does your production belong?

There is no single right answer. The level that pays off depends on your volume, your product mix, the labour you can get, your floor space and your budget. These are the four steps, and when each one tends to make sense.

01

Manual

Tables, saws and a truss press

When you are starting industrial production, building a varied mix in small series, or testing a market. Controlled, repeatable work indoors for a modest investment, and every machine keeps its place when you grow.

BS tables, butterfly tables, SP720 saw, Randek Truss System NT
02

Semi-automatic

Machines take the heavy steps

When volumes are steady and the heavy, repetitive steps start to limit output. Framing, nailing and turning are machine-assisted; operators still handle most of the material.

EasyWall, EasyFloor, FM1 framing station
03

CAD/CAM line

The drawing drives the line

When you need high, predictable output and want the design file to drive production: framing, sheathing, nailing, routing and stacking with little manual adjustment.

AutoWall (100–150 m of wall per hour), AutoFloor (70–90 m² per hour), AutoEye for roof trusses
04

Robotic

Robot cells for a varied product mix

When labour is scarce or expensive and the product mix varies. Tool changers let the same robots switch tools and materials element by element. Robot cells take sheathing, insulation and sub-assembly, on a new line or added to one you already run.

ZeroLabor robotic cells, 50+ systems installed
What improves as you move up
OutputMore metres of wall, floor or truss per shift.
ConsistencyThe same element, every time, straight from the design.
LabourFewer people per element, and less heavy lifting.
DataOne data chain from the CAD file to the last station.

You do not have to decide alone. In a Randek pre-study we define your products, KPIs, factory constraints and layout, and the right level of automation, before anything is ordered.

Machines per level

What each level is built from

Every level runs on the same thinking and the same data, so you can start at one and grow into the next. Follow any machine through to the product.

Manual

  • Butterfly Tables Working, raising and turning tables (the BS series) for wall and floor elements. One table to start, two to turn, three or four to make a line.
  • Floor Jig Tables One fixed table as a square 90° reference, plus movable tables you position exactly where the floor element needs support.
  • SP720 Series Cut Saws Randek’s crosscut saw platform: angled and inclined cuts in one machine, computer-controlled length stops, and up to three board layers per cut.
  • JS400C Notching Saw A dedicated notching saw: two blades, one horizontal and one vertical, cut the notches and recesses timber framing needs.
  • Randek Truss System NT Randek’s equipment for traditional roof-truss manufacturing: C-press heads from 23 to 50 tonnes (metric, 225–490 kN) on a crane, magnetic fixtures on a steel floor and LAP CAD-PRO laser projection.

Semi-automatic

  • EasyWall A modular wall line for frames, open, closed and mixed panels in timber or light gauge steel: the operator places the studs and boards, the framing station and the Bridge RB2 do the fastening.
  • EasyFloor A semi-automatic production line for floor elements with timber or steel joists, driven from your design data and built from modular areas.
  • FM1 Framing Station A framing station for precise prefabricated timber frameworks: one operator places the elements, the machine nails and indexes to the next position.
  • LGS Framing Station Randek’s prefabrication approach applied to light gauge steel: a manual framing station at the core, scaling up to a fuller steel wall line.

CAD/CAM line

  • AutoWall System Integrated wall element manufacturing: framing, handling, sheathing, routing and finishing in one controlled flow.
  • AutoFloor System Beams are laid out on an open jig that sets itself from the CAD file. The sheets are then added, glued and fastened by ZeroLabor robots, the standard line, or by a single automatic portal that also saws, mills and marks in the same pass.
  • AutoEye System Machine vision identifies every joint, calculates nail plate position and controls the pressing sequence.
  • Bridge RB nailing bridge The nailing bridge in a Randek wall or floor line: travels over the element and fastens the sheets to the frame. Three versions, from operator-controlled to CAD/CAM-driven.

Robotic

  • ZeroLabor A family of robotic cells that each automate one process, such as sheathing, sub-assembly or insulation. There is no ZeroLabor line of its own: you add the cells to a Randek line, or to a line you already run.
  • ZeroLabor Robotic Sheathing The original robotic workhorse: industrial robots lay boards onto the frame, fasten them, cut openings and format edges, all from CAD data.
  • ZeroLabor Robotic Insulation Two robots fill closed elements cavity by cavity with blown-in insulation, to the volume and density set by the design data.
  • ZeroLabor Robotic Sub-Assembly Automatically manufactures and assembles rough openings and multi-studs, the fiddliest part of framing.
An existing factory

You do not have to replace what already works.

Many projects start in a factory that is already producing. Randek lines are engineered to be upgraded, not replaced, and most machines can be added one at a time. Automating one bottleneck is often the best first step.

  • Robotic sub-assembly, sheathing and insulation cells retrofit onto AutoWall lines already in production
  • ZeroLabor cells integrate into existing production lines, or run independently
  • Single stations such as the FM1 framing station add a step without a new line
  • Modernization and capacity upgrades of existing lines, from the people who built them
Timber and light gauge steel

One supplier for both materials.

The AutoWall System and EasyWall handle light gauge steel frames as readily as timber. Each line is built for one of the two: sheathing, nailing, routing, membrane, turning and stacking are the same stations either way, and what differs is the framing station at the head of the line. The choice of material does not narrow which level suits you.

  • The LGS Series: a manual steel framing station at the core, scaling up to a fuller steel wall line
  • On a light gauge steel line, ZeroLabor sheathes steel frames with the same precision as timber
  • See wall production for the full comparison
From CAD to machine

The design file drives the line.

All major timber framing CAD applications export to Randek machines as a .cdt file, which the machines interpret directly. Randek Planner sequences the elements across your lines and checks each file before it reaches the line. For full integration, Randek APIs let an ERP or SCADA system control planning.

  • One .cdt file from CAD to every station
  • Automatic checks catch an incomplete file before production
  • APIs for ERP and SCADA integration
  • More in Randek software
The whole journey

Found your level? Read how the project runs.

The Introduction to automation takes you through the rest: whether your business is ready, the questions to ask, planning the investment, preparing your team, and the twelve steps from first meeting to a running line.

Questions

What factory owners ask us first

What level of automation should my prefab factory have?

It depends on your volume, product mix, available labour, floor space and budget. Many factories start manual or semi-automatic and add automation as the order book grows; nothing bought at the start is wasted. In a Randek pre-study we define your products, KPIs, factory constraints and layout, and recommend the right level of automation before anything is ordered.

I manufacture 500 timber frame houses per year. What level of automation should I consider?

There is no single answer based on annual volume alone. Producing 500 timber frame houses per year can mean very different things depending on the type of houses you manufacture, the building elements you produce, your level of standardisation and how your factory operates today.

To determine the right level of automation, we would first look at factors such as your current production process, product variation, required capacity, number of shifts, available workforce, factory layout and space, as well as where your current production bottlenecks are.

You may not need to automate everything. In some factories, improving or automating one part of the production process can make the biggest difference. In others, a more integrated or fully automated production system may be the right solution.

At Randek, we start with your production needs and goals rather than a predetermined level of automation. From manual and semi-automated equipment to fully automated production systems, the aim is to find the level of automation that makes sense for your factory – today and as your production develops.

Can I automate only part of my existing wall production line?

Yes. Randek stations and robot cells can be added one at a time. Robotic sub-assembly, sheathing and insulation cells retrofit onto AutoWall lines already in production, ZeroLabor cells integrate into existing lines or run independently, and single stations such as the FM1 framing station add a step without a new line.

Can Randek integrate automation into an existing factory?

Yes. A Randek project starts from your factory as it is: the pre-study covers your factory constraints and layout, and the new equipment is planned around them. Randek also modernizes and upgrades the capacity of existing lines.

Who supplies machinery for both timber frame and light gauge steel prefab factories?

Randek does. The AutoWall System and EasyWall handle light gauge steel frames as readily as timber; only the framing station at the head of the line differs. The LGS Series covers steel framing from a manual station upwards, and ZeroLabor robot cells are available for steel lines as well as timber lines.

How do I automate roof truss production?

Step by step. Randek Truss System NT is the traditional starting point, with press and crane systems and optional LAP CAD-PRO laser projection (from LAP GmbH) instead of physical jigs. AutoEye automates the line: a robot pairs a nail plate every 9 seconds, around 160 joints per hour with a single fixture table and around 300 with double tables, run by three to four operators.

What machinery do I need to manufacture floor cassettes?

It depends on volume. Floor jig tables and BS tables are the manual start. EasyFloor is a semi-automatic floor line driven from your design data. AutoFloor produces floor elements, floor cassettes, roof ceilings and roof elements at 70–90 m² per hour; its bridge glues, adds sheets, nails, saws and mills in the same pass.

How does CAD data get from design software to Randek machinery?

All major timber framing CAD applications export to Randek machines as a .cdt file, which the machines interpret directly. Randek Planner sequences the elements and checks each file before it reaches the line, and Randek APIs let an ERP or SCADA system control planning via API calls.

Does Randek supply single machines or complete factories?

Both. Randek supplies everything from a single saw or table to complete production lines for walls, floors and roof trusses, robotics, software and lifetime support, and has done so from Sweden since 1943, in 40 countries.

Your next factory starts here

Talk to Randek

Tell us what you build today and where the bottleneck is. We will point you to the right team: locally where we have one, from Sweden where we do not.

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