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Articles - Page 235
- From The Fabricator
One metal fabricator, two value streams
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 12, 2014
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
For decades Nu-Way Industries operated with a conventional management structure. In recent years, managers at the Des Plaines, Ill., fabricator discovered that the two kinds of orders the company processed, engineered to order and make to stock, really called for two distinct value streams, each operating under a different business model.
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Preheating aluminum
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 12, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: What preheat temperature should I use when welding aluminum? I’ve heard different numbers, and I know they can’t all be right. A: Let me begin with a bold statement: If you have the right equipment, you never need to preheat when welding aluminum. I have gas tungsten arc-welded (GTAW)...
Boatbuilder switches from aluminum to steel
- By Eric Lundin
- Dec 11, 2014
- Arc Welding
- Article
Burger Boat Co. has weathered many a storm in its 150-year history, often changing direction to incorporate new technologies and adapt to changing market conditions. When the pleasure craft industry sank in 2009, it went after commercial work, and in the process had to develop a program for working in steel, which it hadn’t done in five decades or so. With the new process came new consumables from ESAB.
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Alloys for furniture fabrication
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 11, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: Which alloy would you recommend for cold bending aluminum tubing or fabricating aluminum law furniture? A: First consider alloy availability. Many alloys are available as round tubing, but not all are obtainable. Most small-diameter tubing is extruded because it’s relatively economical to...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Electrical current in TIG and MIG
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 11, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: When I gas tungsten arc weld (GTAW) aluminum, I always use alternating current (AC), but when I gas metal arc weld (GMAW) aluminum, I always use direct current electrode positive (DCEP). Why the difference? Does anyone GTAW aluminum using DC? Does anyone GMAW using AC? A: In both GTAW and GMAW,...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: How to Identify Aluminum Types
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 10, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Need to know how o identify aluminum? Learn about what different aluminum alloys are made of and which filler metal to use when welding. Find out more.
- From The Fabricator
Engineer, weld, fabricate, test, and perfect
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 10, 2014
- Waterjet Cutting
- Article
Rando Productions juggles various projects from various customers—TV shows, commercials, theme park attractions—and each has its own timeline. It’s all one-off, nonrepeat work. Sound familiar?
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Acceptable tensile sample failure
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 9, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: We are fabricating components from ½-in.-thick 5083-H131 armor plate using robotic GMAW and 5183 filler metal. The tensile samples are failing at 41 KSI during welding procedure qualification. My customer says this is unacceptable and that the tensile samples should fail at 46 KSI or higher....
- From The Fabricator
2015 metal fabrication forecast: Steady as she grows
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 8, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Fabricators expect steady growth for 2015. At the same time, they’re gearing up to handle increasing customer demand by investing in capacity-building equipment.
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: A hotshot’s guide to hot short
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 8, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: A few months ago, you wrote that 6061 is “hot short.” I’m not familiar with this term. Can you explain it? A: Hot short is a standard metallurgical term, but I shouldn’t have assumed that everyone would be familiar with it. If a material is hot short, it means that the material is...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Clearing up oxide misconceptions
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 8, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: My company welds 6063 tubing using AC gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with 4043 filler metal and pure argon shielding gas. Appearance is important. How can we eliminate, or at least minimize, the oxidized area on each side of the weld? A: We need to first clear up a misconception. The area you...
- From The Fabricator
Global manufacturing economy pushes forward
- By Dan Davis
- Dec 8, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
New bending, welding, and laser technology on display at the world’s largest metal fabricating and forming tradeshow helps manufacturers in their pursuit of achieving higher levels of production efficiency.
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Matching colors after anodizing
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 5, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: I’m welding on 6061-T6 tubing which then gets anodized. I was advised to use 5356 filler metal to get a good color match between the tubing and the weld after anodizing. The color match is close, but the weld and the tubing are a slightly different color after anodizing. What can I do to get...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: To reheat, not to reheat T4 temper material
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 5, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: Three years ago I bought 6061-T4 extrusions for a project. My idea was to weld in the T4 temper and then to improve the strength of the weld by performing an aging treatment after welding. The project sat dormant until now. Will the T4 temper material need to be heat-treated again before...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Using 4043, 4643 when welding 6061-T6
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 4, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: Most 6061-T6 is welded using 4043 filler wire. If you heat-treat the weld, will the 4043 get stronger? What happens if I use 4643 filler instead of 4043? A: Is the weld heat-treatable? Well, yes and no. Remember, the first step to producing T6 temper is heat treating at around 1,050 degrees F...
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The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
start your free subscription- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
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