Canada’s first robotic roof truss line opens in Ontario

Key Takeaways:

• Atlas Engineered Products has commissioned Canada’s first robotic roof truss manufacturing line at its 42,000-square-foot plant in Vanastra, Ontario.
• Backed by a $4-million federal Forest Innovation Program grant, the automated line is designed to accelerate off-site residential framing and boost domestic housing supply.
• The company plans to hire 20 additional workers immediately, with long-term targets to double its 40-person local site workforce.

The Whole Story:

Atlas Engineered Products Ltd. (AEP) has completed the installation and commissioning of Canada’s first robotic roof truss manufacturing line at its 42,000-square-foot facility in Huron County, Ontario.

The automated system, located in Vanastra near Clinton, is now producing sellable roof truss runs as part of testing and staff training. The expansion was supported by a $4-million contribution from Natural Resources Canada under the Forest Innovation Program.

The robotic technology automates timber positioning, Jig setting, and component assembly, significantly compressing fabrication timelines. According to AEP, the off-site prefabricated components can be assembled on a job site in four to five days, compared to traditional multi-month structural framing schedules.

“We will take a set of plans. We will break it out. We build it like a jigsaw puzzle,” said Hadi Abassi, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Founder of Atlas Engineered Products. “The increased capacity and operating efficiencies provided by this robotic line will help AEP support the industry as Canada works to build more homes.”

AEP currently employs 40 workers at the Huron County plant and is recruiting 20 additional personnel to support the expanded facility. Abassi emphasized that the robotics line is designed to augment rather than replace human workers, with long-term plans to potentially double the local workforce as production scales.

The Vanastra deployment marks the first step in AEP’s broader strategy to integrate industrial robotics across its national network of engineered wood and truss manufacturing facilities, which spans locations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.