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 [email protected]