GRANGER, IN  - UFP Granger, LLC has implemented Intooligence, a software system to track its moulder template library, machine setups, and the complete life-cycle of its tooling.

UFP Granger, a Granger, IN unit of Universal Forest Products, manufactures beam sides, edge forms, finger-jointed studs, housing trusses, wood decking & railing, wood fencing and other lumber-related products. It has 300 tools in its system, and operates on-site grinding facilities.

The Intooligence system allows it to track internal sharpening schedules of knife sets, location of knife templates, and general condition of moulder tooling.

To implement the system, a computer with Internet access was added at UFP Granger; no major changes to the woodworking tool room were required, says Intooligence, which trained employees and guided them through implementation. Cutterheads were identified and serial numbers entered in the Intooligence database, along with records of the knife sets that were present in the heads. Assemblies were created that linked the knife sets to the cutterheads, and allowed them to store data about the assemblies such as small diameter and axial location, says Intooligence.

UFP Granger is also using the Intooligence system to record machine setup time, and generate reports on setup times by machine, job, or product.

UFP Granger parent Universal Forest Products (Nasdaq: UFPI), headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, reported strong quarterly growth last month in all its market segments except residential construction, with 2011 fourth-quarter net sales of $422 million, up 11.4 percent over 2010, though it saw a loss of $1.7 million compared to 2010 fourth-quarter earnings of $124,000.