http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_TechCell.cfm The Tube and Pipe Fabrication 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 11:17:07 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1685 Mechanized, or orbital, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) of pipe was first introduced about 40 years ago, largely in response to the need for high-quality welds, repeatability, and zero defects for the large number of nuclear power generator plants being constructed at that time. Weld-out time was a secondary issue. Over time orbital welding has been used in other applications requiring high repeatability and quality, such as steam generation components for fossil power plants and pro... John Emmerson Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1684 Charger®. Mustang®. Camaro®. Challenger®. Barracuda®. Regardless of which muscle car is your favorite, they all share a few characteristics. Masculine designs. Distinctive paint jobs. Sporty, racing-style interiors and accessories. And much more horsepower than you need to go get some groceries or run the kids to soccer practice. Muscle cars ruled the streets a few decades ago, and many of them are back. The unsung heroes then, as always, were the exhaus... Herb Friedrich Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1682 During anodizing, the aluminum oxide layer is made thicker by passing a direct current through a sulfuric acid solution, with the tube serving as the anode, the negative electrode. The current releases hydrogen at the cathode, the positive electrode, and oxygen at the surface of the aluminum anode, creating a buildup of aluminum oxide. Because of its strength and durability, anodized aluminum is used in a number of applications. Many structures and buildings have anodized alumin... Tammy Schroeder Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1660 Like many industries, the automotive industry is in a state of perpetual change. Automobile manufacturers continuously strive for higher safety ratings, reduced fuel consumption, smaller environmental impact, and reduced costs. To address these concerns, many automakers work to develop space-frame structures and reduce automobile weight. Space frames and weight reductions are the result of advancements in design, use of new and unusual materials, and developments in bonding and formin... Sabine Neff Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1649 Stealth Manufacturing Inc. fabricated its own tube unloader for its cutoff line. Instead of relying on special Allen wrenches to adjust the unloader each time a different-sized tube is switched out, the operator just turns the hand cranks for quicker changeovers. Editor's Note: This feature about Stealth Manufacturing Inc. does not contain quotes because the company president asked that names be withheld from the final story so that the entire company can share the spotlight,... Dan Davis, Executive Editor Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1648 It’s important to check the alignment of the infeed support system to prevent cutoff blade breakage, threading, and poor-quality cuts. In today's economy, the key to survival is productivity as well as quality. This means improving efficiency, minimizing downtime, and reducing labor costs. Rotary cutoff machines have developed into an effective method of achieving this to cut tube and pipe—regardless of lot sizes. How? Basically, the rotary cuto... Susan DeJesus Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1641 Jay Hall, president of Harco Metal Products Inc., Tempe, Ariz., laughs when asked if he ever thought China and other countries would have affected his business when he jumped into tube fabricating 19 years ago. "Then I told them it was a nonissue. I didn't even know they existed," he said. "Boy, has that changed. It is a huge difference. "Obviously, the global market in today's world means everything—how we buy material, how we fabricate componen... Dan Davis, Executive Editor Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1622 New developments in all-electric tube bending technology have been in the areas of report generation and diagnostics. The PC controller with networking makes it possible to introduce many interesting diagnostics capabilities, such as a Web cam and a “black box” history file that automatically stores the last 500 operations. All-electric tube bending machines' performance characteristics include software-based control over the bending process, which provides hig... Terry Pickering Tue, 08 May 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1608 Tube fabricator Leading Edge Hydraulics, Rockford, Ill., supplies hydraulic tube components to the off-road and construction industry segment. The family business grew rapidly since its decision in 2003 to concentrate on hydraulic tube fabrication, rather than on general-industry tube fabrication. Year-over-year sales growth was 65 percent from 2003 to 2004; 45 percent from 2004 to 2005; and 18 percent is projected from 2005 to 2006. The growth created a challenge ... Kate Bachman Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/TubePipeFabrication/TubePipeFabrication_Article.cfm?ID=1587 Like most contract manufacturers, Target Laser & Machining Inc. started out as an idea that became a concept that evolved into a plan that eventually developed into a business. It was Gary Reiter's idea, machining was the concept, and subcontracting a large amount of work for a local manufacturer, Atwood Mobile Products, was the plan. It was a solid plan. Atwood had been around for decades and had carved out a niche in manufacturing components for recreational vehicles or, a... Eric Lundin, Senior Editor Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT