South Hill, VA

Wall Panel Plant

Our wall panel plant is conveniently located just off of I-85 in South Hill, VA., about 1 hour north of Raleigh, N.C. The plant is approximately 50,000 square feet of covered manufacturing area. With a minimal crew, about 1,200 linear feet of wall panels can be built in an 8-hour shift. Generally, upon receiving the engineered drawings from the designers, a wall order can be built and ready to ship to a jobsite within 72 hours.

South Hill Components Line

As a wall panel project is begun, the sub-components are all built at a single station. Sub-components include Tee’s, Stud-block-stud (SBS), stud columns, and Cal-corners, among others. The sub-components are used in the wall panels where a single stud is not sufficient to create a nailed joint.

South Hill panel assembly jig

Wall panels are then framed up in jigs that help ensure squareness. The Sub-components, and components, such as framed doors and windows, are installed at the framing tables.

Panel assembly jig (close up)

The colored chocks are used to space studs. This ensures that studs are consistently spaced on-center correctly. This also ensures that studs will be plumb. Modular ladders and blocking are also installed at the framing table.

Sheathing line After a wall is completed on the framing table, its rolled straight down the line to the sheathing station. At the sheathing station, a bridge-stapler attaches the sheathing to the framed wall. In the pictures shown here, 16 GA staples are being used to attach Therma-ply sheathing.

Stapler Bridge

Tall wall assembly jig

Tall walls, walls that exceed 10’-0” in height are framed in a special jig. Tall walls generally must be made up of 2x6’s, to prevent bowing and bending in the length of the studs. Stud spacing is done just like on the standard framing table, with chocks spaced 16” and 24” on-center.

Tall wall

wall sheathing line

After the sheathing is installed, the wall panel is rolled to the routing station. A bridge router is used to cut out the window and door openings. This makes the process of installing windows and doors much easier on the jobsite. The sheathing can also be trimmed along the top and/or bottom plates to ensure flush sheathing.

panel overhead crane arms

After the wall has been framed, sheathed, and the openings have been routed, the wall panel is lifted from the table, and stacked into bundles. These bundles are nailed together to prevent shifting during shipping. The bundles are then forklifted onto the plant yard for staging.

panel bundles

Bundles on the job-site

Once All the panels have been built, and a delivery date has been established, the wall panels are loaded a onto flat bed trailer and delivered to your jobsite.