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From The Fabricator

The tooling fundamentals of metal folding

Washington artist creates life-size elk sculptures

A fabricator cuts a pipe with an oxyfuel torch.

Educating, rather than just training, tomorrow's workforce

Press brakes, panel benders, and flat blank calculations

From The Welder

Building a successful welding program from the ground up

Close up on submerged arc welding process

The role of flux in submerged arc welding performance

How welders can stay safe during grinding

Sheffield Forgemasters makes global leap in welding technology

From The Tube and Pipe Journal

Get a grip on the misunderstood tube bender motor starter

Students learn fabrication one piece at a time

Robot is welding metal part in car factory

Making the move from hard automation to robotic welding

A square metal tube sits on a piece of machinery.

Fabricator achieves extraordinary with simple approach

From The Fabricator en Español

Soldador soldando con equipo de protección adecuado

Seguridad en la soldadura desde el inicio

Corte láser en una mesa con tablillas de soporte limpias.

Anidado para la estabilidad del corte láser

Un equipo planea el arreglo de un taller.

Prescripción para la reducción del desperdicio: arreglo esbelto de las instalaciones

Un operador suelta una pieza de trabajo metálica cuando ésta es doblada en una prensa dobladora.

Los operadores de prensa dobladora inexpertos hacen indispensable el repensar la seguridad

The season for NBT Summer Manufacturing Camps nears

Student participants learn to weld at NBT Summer Manufacturing Camp.

As the school year ends, thousands of young people will be embarking on their summer adventures. For many, summer will bring their first taste of the world of manufacturing, an economic segment starved for intellectually curious minds.

Thanks to grants made possible by Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA), Elgin, Ill., more than 300 summer camps will be held in 30 different states, reaching more than 5,000 students. Young people will be exposed to many different aspects of manufacturing and metal fabricating, such as computer-aided design and welding.

"NBT Summer Manufacturing Camps have been proven to be effective in building a pipeline for the next generation of manufacturing professionals," said Ed Dernulc, NBT's director. "Our research shows that attending an NBT-funded camp increases participants' awareness of career options and jobs available in manufacturing, including those in their local community, by at least 82% at the end of camp."

The opportunities for young people considering a possible career in manufacturing are endless. Manufacturers could be looking to fill upwards of 3.8 million jobs within the next decade, according to industry research. That includes not only machine operators, but also engineers, industrial maintenance technicians, and software developers, just to name a few.

These summer camps are designed for students ages 12 to 16, introducing them to the tools and skills used in modern manufacturing environments. The camps also help young people make real connections with the local manufacturing community and expose them to available career pathways. According to a survey of camp host organizations, 90% indicated that they made new connections and strengthened relationships with local manufacturers because of the camp. Eighty-one percent indicated that camp participants had the opportunity to meet representatives of manufacturing companies and tour nearby facilities.