http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_TechCell.cfm The Materials Handling tech cell is packed with specific links to help you find product information, suppliers, technical articles, case studies, seminars and conferences, as well as books, software, and videos on metal fabricating-related topics. en-us http://www.thefabricator.com/RSS/images/thefabricator_rss.gif http://www.thefabricator.com Copyright 2007 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. official publication date Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:15:22 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1690 Conventional rack, shelving, and drawer systems used in many stamping facilities are a less-than-lean method of storing dies. They consume a lot of floor space, and locating and retrieving dies encroaches on production time. In addition, these conventional methods expose dies to damage. The focus of lean manufacturing initiatives is to eliminate waste that occurs during manufacturing operations and to optimize process flow to improve overall efficiency. Vertical automated storage ... Ed Romaine Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1683 Photo courtesy of Combilift USA, Greensboro, N.C. Many large warehouses for pipe and long metal products are more than 300,000 square feet, with 2,000 to 3,000 product numbers, or stock-keeping units (SKUs), and more than five miles of shelving and thousands of bin locations. This represents a daunting task for personnel involved with putting materials into storage locations and for those engaged in picking material for shipments. The method for analyzing warehouse operatio... Frank Rubury Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1667 Editor's Note: This article is adapted from Greg Yahn's conference presented at FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, Nov. 13-16, 2005, Chicago, Ill.,© 2005 by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and the American Welding Society (AWS). One of the most frustrating problems a fabricator can face is the waste of a perfectly good part because the finish has been marred or damaged i... Greg Yahn Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1661 Kirsan Engineering’s saw loader has eliminated the need for a jib crane and a hoist. Lift trucks now deliver the barstock and tubing to its two Amada HA250 band saws with automatic feed. Safety is the most important, and most often the least appreciated, aspect of manufacturing. Simply put, you can't do the job without healthy people to do the job. Kirsan Engineering, Kenosha, Wis., kept that in mind when it took a look at the loading process for its band saw. The ... Dan Davis, Executive Editor Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1563 Over the years the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state regulators have driven higher workplace standards in safety procedures, checks, and processes. While more stringent safety practices are vital to employees' health and well-being, it is not necessarily obvious that safety improvements can lead to productivity and efficiency improvements. The reality is that in many cases safer practices do mean more efficient operations. The Right Fit Usi... Eamon Devlin Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1499 Material handling from stamping operations can present unique challenges. Regardless of whether you're handling scrap or finished parts, you need to think about several points to select the right equipment for your particular application. You have many equipment choices today to move, elevate, and distribute material. If you're considering a belt, vibratory, or a magnetic conveyor, ask the following four questions before you buy one. 1. What material is being han... John Mackowski Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1449 Ireland is called the Emerald Isle, and for good reason. Regardless of the season, much of the island is covered with lush green vegetation. The mild winter weather is a product of the Gulf Stream, the Atlantic Ocean current that pushes moderate weather north from the Gulf of Mexico. The other factor, of course, is precipitation. It rains a lot in Ireland. And that's an understatement. According to the country's weather service, Met Éireann®, much of the island recei... Eric Lundin, Senior Editor, The FABRICATOR® Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1394 Before parts are to be wrapped, they are laid on the pallet. A forklift transports the parts to the stretch wrapper. It's not a stretch to say that Haas Automation Inc. is the largest machine tool builder in North America. The Oxnard, Calif.-based company produced 10,000 CNC machines in 2005, shipping a large percentage to overseas machine shops. Haas Automation is able to compete on price with foreign machine tool builders because it relies on automated processes to help minimize ... Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1391 Photo courtesy of GSW Press Automation, El Segundo, Calif. Stampers, precariously squeezed by tight margins, high material costs, and increasing pressure to be leaner, have issued a request: We want our scrap handling operations to be speedy, trouble-free, and more productive. Fortunately, the latest generation of scrap handling equipment makes that mission possible. New machinery, trending toward a greater use of invisible forces and high-tech gadgetry befitting a s... Kate Bachman, Associate Editor Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/MaterialsHandling/MaterialsHandling_Article.cfm?ID=1381 Figure 1The stationary incline conveyor located in the load-out center discharges its load into a shuttle conveyor that automatically fills one of the two truck trailers located in the bays below. Jefferson Industries Corporation (JIC) in West Jefferson, Ohio, broke ground for its stamping and welding facility in 1988 and became operational in 1989 to support Honda of America in Marysville, Ohio. JIC produces dashboard components, pillars, stiffeners, wheel houses, and floor frames ... Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT