Canvas  

San Francisco,  CA 
United States
http://www.canvas.build

• Booth: 643

The Canvas robot is a powerful tool for drywall finishers

Canvas has taken the difficulty and the unpredictability out of drywall finishing by putting a powerful new tool in the hands of skilled workers. For drywall contractors, the Canvas machine, now being deployed nationwide, is compressing schedules, reducing costs, and improving quality outcomes. For tapers, the Canvas system is radically improving their work environment--making it safer, easier on the body, and less stressful.

By making the work better, drywall contractors can protect the health and safety of their current field employees and give them the opportunity to remain in the workforce longer. Better, less stressful work can also help attract new people to the drywall finishing trade, which for many years has suffered from a chronic attrition problem. 92% of drywall contractors report that they cannot find enough skilled labor. This is because people are leaving the trades much faster than they can be replaced.

The Canvas robot is worker-operated. After being trained on the system, tapers use the machine to help them produce consistently high-quality Level 4 or Level 5 finishes. When in Level 5 mode, the machine's robotic arm--which can telescope to 15.5 feet high--sprays the entire wall with a precise layer of joint compound. The tape can be wet; it does not have to be dry before the machine sprays. After drying (typically 24 hours), the wall is ready for the robot to sand. When in Level 4 Targeted Spray mode, the machine sprays only the seams. The tape can be wet in this mode, too. After one dry cycle (typically 24 hours), the wall is ready for manual sanding. 

The Canvas system leverages mature technologies that have already been developed and succesfully deployed in other industries. It also uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to communicate real-time project data to collaborative teams, and to continually improve its own performance.

The best way to experience the Canvas System is to see it live. See it live at AWCI BUILD 2023! Canvas also has a large R&D facility in San Francisco, where we hold multiple demos every week. Contact us at sales@canvas.build to get on our demo schedule, meet our people, and see our robot in action. Afterward, you and your team are welcome to stay and ask us questions. We look forward to meeting you!

 Videos

 Show Specials

• Come to a Canvas Demo and Get a Canvas Robot Lego Kit! (Jan 25, 2023)

  The Canvas drywall finishing robot is proud to be making its debut at AWCI BUILD23! We will be demonstrating our award-winning, worker-operated machine at booth #643 and simulating its 99.9%-dust-captured sanding function, but there's nothing like a live demo. Come to our headquarters and see the machine's actual spray and the sand functions in real life, and closely inspect some finished walls for yourself. Seeing really is believing, as many of our potential customers who have attended a demo go on to become actual Canvas customers.
  
  Come by our booth and get on the calendar for a live demo at our San Francisco headquarters. The first 25 people who sign up will receive their own Canvas machine Lego kit upon arrival.

  The Future Is Now. Let's Build It Together! 
  
  See us on YouTube

 Press Releases

• Construction Robotics Company Canvas Accelerates Drywall Innovation with Level 4 Targeted Spray (Jan 25, 2023)

  San Francisco, CA - June 2, 2022. Canvas, the construction robotics company building the future in bold new ways, today announced the launch of its innovative Level 4 Targeted Spray system. Building on the groundbreaking launch of the Canvas finishing machine, this new capability enables Canvas partners to deliver new levels of performance for clients. Developed based on feedback from key customers, in a time of massive labor shortages, unprecedented building demand, and risking building costs, Level 4 Targeted Spray makes drywall finishing safer and more predictable than ever before.

  In December 2021, Canvas rolled out its Innovation Partner Program, a collaboration that now includes seven industry-leading technical contractors — Webcor, DPR Construction, Swinerton, Nevell Group Inc., KHS&S, Daley's Drywall & Taping, Inc., and California Drywall. These industry stewards have demonstrated their commitment to moving the drywall industry forward and were selected by Canvas to participate more directly in creating better outcomes for their workers and projects. These customers and partners' crews train on the Canvas system and now operate machines independently.

  Their experience operating Canvas machines and delivering unparalleled 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 surfaced a desire for the Canvas worker-controlled machine 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.

  "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," said Canvas CEO Kevin Albert. "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. "Our clients are some of the most innovative companies in the world working on the most demanding projects," said Daley's Drywall Vice President Jonathan Hughes.

  "With L4TS, Daley's is able to meet our clients' demands for exceptionally high-quality drywall finishes, while also offering much shorter schedule durations." Unprecedented labor shortages and projected building demands — which call for doubling our 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 unprecedented safety, quality, and efficiency to the drywall discipline. 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 set the standard for construction technology and is leading the industry to a future of better project outcomes and shorter schedules.

  "Canvas has not only produced a revolutionary tool for drywall-finishing, but they're constantly improving their product in response to the industry's needs and our own challenges and opportunities," said Swinerton Director of Innovation Aaron Anderson. "Being able to work with a company that welcomes feedback and delivers real-time solutions is why we value our relationship with Canvas. We look forward to the future of this partnership and seeing the innovations that Canvas will continue to bring to this space."  

• Canvas Wins Pro Tool Innovation Award for Ingenious Drywall Finishing System: Game-changing machine receives first place in technology/robotics category (Jan 25, 2023)

  San Francisco, CA, Sept. 28, 2022 — The Canvas drywall finishing robot received top honors last week in the 2022 Pro Tools Innovation Awards (PTIA), winning first place in the technology / robotics category. 2022 marked only the 2nd year the PTIA has included technology/robotics as a category. Last year, the Hilti Jaibot received the first award in the category for its robot that drills holes in concrete ceilings. 

  The Canvas Difference:   In manual drywall finishing, the seams between the sheets of drywall are joined with (often fire-resistant) tape. In order to make the tape “disappear” from the wall, or appear flat, up to four additional layers of drywall joint compound, or mud, are applied to the fire tape. Each layer must first dry and then be sanding before the next layer can be applied. 

  The Canvas drywall finishing machine can do both Level 5 walls (mudding and sanding) and Level 4 Targeted Spray walls (mudding only). When in Level 5 mode, the entire wall is sprayed only one time (over wet fire-tape). After drying, the wall is machine sanded to a predictably high-quality finish. This process can take as few as two days with one dry cycle in between. When in Level 4 mode, only the fire-taped seams on the wall are sprayed (the fire-tape can be wet). After drying, the wall is then sanded the traditional way. In both Level 5 and Level 4 Targeted Spray, the mudding process only takes one coat of joint compound and one dry cycle before sanding.

  Canvas trains its customers to operate the machine regardless of skill level. The training takes about five days to complete. Training includes how to safely operate the machine, how to direct the machine to scan the wall and create the workspaces, and troubleshooting.  

  [See graphic for the steps the customer takes when using the machine on a Level 5 project.]

  Here's what the Pro Tool Innovation Awards judges had to say about the Canvas System: 

  • Increased Safety: The machine protects workers from dust inhalation by vacuum-capturing 99.9% of the particulate generated by sanding. Its telescopic robotic arm reaches heights of 17 feet, keeping workers safe on the ground instead of on ladders or scaffolding. It decreases most, and in some cases all, of the repetitive-motion work that is responsible for 1 in 4 tapers being injured on the job.
  • Improved Quality: The Canvas system produces exceptionally high-quality, and predictable, finishes on every project. 
  • Increased Productivity and Compressed Schedules: The machine can do in as few as two days what takes traditional drywall finishing up to seven days.
  • A Solution to Labor Shortage: As construction industry worker shortages continue to worsen, Canvas fills the gap and offers a reliable solution.

  A diverse team of PTIA judges–including contractors,construction business owners, tradespeople, and media professionals–evaluated the tools and machines, which represent the most innovative construction and outdoor power equipment industry products in the world. 

  Says Pro Tools Innovation Awards Executive Director Clint DeBoer: “Many of the latest award-winning products showed a high increase in efficiency, bolstered safety, and/or increased jobsite productivity.” The Canvas System delivers on all those fronts.

  Want more information about the Canvas System? Email sales@canvas.build

  ###

  About

  Canvas is a construction robotics company whose mission is to enable people to build in bold new ways. The Canvas system provides a flexible approach to drywall finishing, combining the skills and expertise of trained union workers with technology that together enable Canvas to consistently deliver the highest quality finishes.  Visit Canvas online at https://www.canvas.build.

  Media gallery

  

  Canvas Level 4 Targeted Spray

  

  

  

• Canvas Signs Long-Term Enterprise Leases for Worker-Operated Drywall Finishing Robots: Daley’s Drywall & Taping, Inc. and Nevell Group Inc. make long-term commitments to automation (Jan 25, 2023)

  San Francisco, CA, Aug. 8, 2022 -- In response to widespread demand for its worker-operated drywall finishing machines, construction robotics company Canvas today announced that Daley’s Drywall & Taping, Inc., and Nevell Group Inc. (NGi) have both signed multi-machine, multi-year leases to strategically ensure they have priority access, giving them an edge over their competitors. Daley’s and NGi, two of the most innovative wall and ceiling contractors in the region, will independently operate Canvas’s ground-breaking robots on their job sites.  

  ”We very clearly see the writing on the wall for the future of the drywall finishing industry,” said Daley’s Drywall & Taping VP Jonathan Hughes, “and it tells us that we need to embrace automation sooner than later, as in right now.”

  Hughes is referencing recent news articles that point to a series of bleak announcements for the construction trade, including:

  • Shortage of workers: The shortage of skilled labor, now critical, is going to worsen. The Associated General Contractors (AGC) recently reported that 89% of contractors said they couldn’t find enough skilled workers to complete their projects..
  • Rising wages: The “great resignation,” or the number of people leaving their jobs, also impacted the construction industry. Last month, the AGC reported that rising hourly wages attracted more workers to construction, but the industry still posted a record number of job openings. 
  • Lower productivity: The combination of fewer workers and rising wages not only makes construction more expensive, it also impacts productivity. In a not-uncommon scenario playing out across the country, workers are getting paid more while their productivity remains stagnant (or worse, declines).

  Daley’s will be utilizing its Canvas machines on projects that have both Level 5 and Level 4 finishes. “We have used the machine on multiple projects, focusing on its safety and quality benefits,” Hughes says. “Now, with the machine capable of doing both Level 4 and Level 5, it opens up more opportunities for us to increase utilization.” Canvas recently announced its machine’s ability to do Level 4 Targeted Spray (in which only seams are sprayed instead of the entire wall), as well as super-high-quality Level 5 finishes.  Canvas’s machine also consistently delivers projects in 40% less time than those that use traditional drywall-finishing processes.

  Nevell Group Inc. (NGi), also a California-based drywall contractor, recently completed the drywall scope on the $174 million Sunnyvale Civic Center Modernization Phase I project for Hensel Phelps Construction using a Canvas machine with a Canvas-trained Nevell employee.

  “The quality of finish that this machine produces is outstanding,” said Hensel Phelps Project Manager Andrew Cameron. “We had piloted with the Canvas team at the San Francisco International Airport Harvey Milk Terminal 1 project several years ago when they were still a subcontractor, and we were blown away by both the simplicity of the process and the quality of the finish. The machine elevates the level of consistency, while also making the process more predictable.”

  “Our clients, the most innovative general contractors in California, are continually seeking ways to improve project efficiencies,” said NGi CEO Chris Taylor. “As an early adopter of the Canvas robotic drywall finishing machine, NGi has worked closely with Canvas in the past year on increasing the machine’s capabilities. The machine’s new Level 4 Targeted Spray capabilities, which we helped to develop, will increase our ROI by improving schedules and reducing costs.

  “There are any number of issues facing contractors these days,” Taylor concluded, “including diminishing ROI on jobs due to increased labor and material costs, as well as supply chain issues. In this environment, NGi is going to look at every possible opportunity to improve project efficiencies and outcomes. The Canvas machines enable us to take on more work without compromising safety and quality, and while also helping us retain and attract new skilled workers to the trade.”

  “The current construction environment makes leasing the Canvas machines a strategic move, as owners will increasingly be looking to their contractors to reign in costs and boost productivity,” said Canvas’s new Chief Revenue Officer Chris Peterson. “The surest way to do that is by embracing automation as predictability in labor costs, availability, and quality are a concern.” Peterson added that as enterprise lease signers, both Daley’s and NGi will be first in line to receive additional machines as they are produced. “It’s a decision that will pay off quickly,” he said, “as news about the construction industry’s labor, cost and productivity outlook continues to paint a pretty dark picture. Technology and innovation, as Daley’s and NGi know, can help immensely.”  

• Pacific Systems Interiors Signs Lease Agreement for Canvas Drywall Finishing Robots (Jan 25, 2023)

  San Francisco, CA, Dec. 9, 2022 -- Canvas announced today that Pacific Systems Interiors (PSI) recently signed a multi-machine / multi-year lease to deploy its drywall finishing machines on projects across Southern California. PSI, based in Los Angeles, has become known in the industry for its commitment to leveraging business systems and technologies that will strengthen project outcomes for its venerated clients, which include Bank of America, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, USC and multiple retailers.

  PSI company differentiators include: Union/Training: PSI maintains a union-trained and highly skilled workforce, and has a strong bench of experienced foremen to expertly navigate any issues that might arise on a project. Lean: With more than half a billion worth of work under its belt in 60+ years in business, PSI was among the first wall and ceiling contractors to leverage Lean construction to enhance project efficiencies, particularly during preconstruction. BIM/AR: The firm was an early adopter of building information modeling (BIM) and augmented reality (AR) to make the work more accurate and minimize costly issues in the field. Innovation: PSI has established a dedicated team to investigate and evaluate new technologies that can enhance project safety, schedule, budget and quality.

  “PSI checked all of the boxes for an ideal Canvas customer,” says Chief Revenue Officer Chris Peterson. “The company has a sophisticated client base that demands precision and quality, and it has a highly trained and experienced crew that it wants to retain and protect. PSI also understands that the current construction industry landscape is only going to become more competitive in the coming years–due to a growing labor shortage, increasingly fast-tracked schedules, and tighter budgets–and that our robotics drywall finishing solution can definitely help.”

  “We believe Canvas is the key to revolutionizing wall systems,” says PSI Sr. Vice President Dino Romero. “The drywall trade already operates with razor-thin margins, and that is going to get tougher in this volatile economic environment. We need systems and technologies like Canvas that can provide us with greater reliability, precision and consistency. Using the Canvas robots will be a key innovation differentiator for us.”

  Romero adds that his teams will be using Canvas’s Level 4 Targeted Spray on a number of upcoming projects, including its Ocean + Cherry project in Long Beach, CA, a mixed-use beachfront building that will include a 40-room hotel and 56 flats / townhouse units. 

  While the Canvas machine can also provide Level 5 finishes, its Level 4 Targeted Spray system sprays the seams only to the exact specifications of each seam profile. After being trained on the system, PSI’s Canvas Certified Finishers will use the machine’s camera systems to detect and map the walls’ seams and create spray sections. The operator will then position the machine and instruct it to execute. After one dry cycle (typically 24 hours), the wall will be ready to be sanded. 

  The Canvas machine “is pretty amazing right now,” says Romero, “and Canvas is working on ways to make it even more useful for our teams and our projects.”  

 Products