Take a group of experienced contractors and a new technology, combine their expertise with the technology’s capabilities and the result can be impressive. When seven leading construction and drywall companies—Webcor, DPR Construction, Swinerton, Nevell Group, KHS&S, Daley’s Drywall & Taping, and California Drywall—participated in the construction field’s version of a clinical trial of a robotic finishing machine, their feedback resulted in a Level 4 Targeted Spray system from Canvas.
Canvas created its Innovation Partner Program, which now has the seven companies involved, in December 2021. Like nearly every company in the industry, since the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted projects, they have had trouble staffing their field operations with qualified, experienced workers in these times of labor shortages. By testing and improving a robotic system, the Partners gave Canvas positive feedback and suggestions that were incorporated in the new system.
These customers and partners’ crews train on the Canvas system and now operate machines independently. Their experience operating Canvas machines and delivering performance for their clients has also given these partners another way to add exceptional value to their projects and to move the industry forward. Level 4 Targeted Spray emerged out of this need, as partners acknowledged the Canvas worker-controlled machine’s ability to spray both a Level 5 finish, in which the entire wall is sprayed prior to sanding; and a Level 4 finish, which targets only the drywall seams.
Canvas CEO Kevin Albert recalls, “We started by inventing new processes for drywall with our worker-operated machines and Level 5 process, but our goal is to provide ongoing solutions for every aspect of our customers’ needs. L4TS is a watershed moment for Canvas because it represents a major leap in capability for Canvas Certified Finishers, but also the success of our Innovation Partner Program and our ability to drive the industry forward together. We’re proud to listen to our customer’s feedback and deliver solutions that further improve drywall finishing.”
The new L4TS process continues to deliver not only on safety and quality but now also gives Canvas partners the ability to use the machine on a broader range of projects. By spraying only the seams, L4TS enables contractors to offer their clients greater flexibility in a project’s finish level, while reducing cycle times and therefore improving schedules.
Unprecedented labor shortages and projected building demands — which call for doubling the building stock by 2040 — have pushed the construction industry to a critical point. Canvas’s approach of putting machines into the hands of skilled workers has helped meet this growing crisis by training people for the jobs of the future and introducing safety, quality, and efficiency to the drywall discipline.
The Canvas System provides a flexible approach to drywall finishing, combining the skills and expertise of trained union workers and technology that together enable Canvas to consistently deliver consistently high-quality drywall finishes, unlock unprecedented control over schedules by reducing typical finishing times from 7 to 2 days, and provide better working conditions for all.
With its new Level 4 capability, coupled with its strong relationships with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and the Innovation Partner Program, Canvas continues to help the industry to better project outcomes and shorter schedules.
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