4943 alloy is the first aluminum filler metal developed in the U.S., designed for use in wrought commercial applications, and registered with the Aluminum Association in over 50 years. It was designed primarily to provide a consistently high-strength alternative to filler metal 4043 while maintaining various advantages of 4043. The most interesting and comprehensive series of third-party tests were conducted by NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center for the James Webb Space Telescope project.

Any product and its components could be subject to a liability claim. Just ask any car manufacturer and its suppliers. Do you know what you need to do in the event of even the hint of a lawsuit?

Generations from now, when people everywhere simply may be hitting print to turn ideas into reality, making things won’t be so difficult—but determining when to hit print could mean the difference between success and failure.

Sonny Pierce, who founded PI-CO Fabrication in 1982, had experience in starkly different fields—like bowling and bathtubs—that lacked one luxury contract fabrication thrives on: customer diversification.

Paul Cameron dives into the need for welder requalification testing.

Quick die change, introduced decades ago, has become a staple of lean manufacturing in most stamping shops. QDC equipment itself is being upgraded and their lines expanded to meet evolving requirements for speed and safety, including force evaluation systems on magnetic die clamping, auto-positioning, auto-clamping, thinner magnetic clamping plates, trackless carts, and automated storage and retrieval systems.

Q: We weld sheet metal to D1.3 requirements. Our current welding procedure specification needs to be updated. Our customers are asking for a separate WPS/ PQR [procedure qualification record] for fillet and groove welds. Until now I believe we had both fillets and grooves covered by one WPS/PQR....

Modern punching machines are designed to be more operator-friendly, which is a bonus for today’s fast-paced shop floors. Learn just how these sophisticated machines have evolved ergonomically.

Operating a spot welding machine safely requires operator care, proper training, and appropriate safety devices. Without these, you put yourself as risk for myriad injuries.

If you pick the right offset tool for the job, you'll find you will be able to produce many different offset geometries quickly and safely.

Learn CV vs CC in arc welding. Direct-current (DC) power supplies can be constant-voltage (CV) or constant-current (CC).

Q: I know of welding manufacturing companies that do not use welding procedure specifications (WPS), their welders are not qualified, and their welders inspect their own welds! How can these companies get away with this? Nelson M. A: I have been in many fab shops that lack documentation on...

Q: I am trying to decide whether obtaining CWI designation would be beneficial to my career. I am presently unemployed and would like to increase my marketability to potential employers. I have a B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering plus over 20 years experience as a materials engineer in the...

Have your AWS D1.1 welding certification? Our expert shares what documentation you need to keep on file to show that you have been welding.

Learn how to minimize your start and stop defects when welding in our article.