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Author
Articles written by Dan Davis
 | Dan Davis
Editor in Chief, FMA Communications, Inc.
Dan Davis has covered the North American manufacturing industry since 1992. He enjoys meeting managers and shop owners and finding out how they are fabricating a living in today's marketplace. |
Results: 71
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Cortando más que metal con un chorro de agua |
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Tons of reasons for a new welding positionerP&H Mining equipment, Milwaukee, Wis., makes very large equipment, such as its largest electric shovel that weighs 1,200 tons. Shovel components keep getting larger, and to keep up with the market trends, the company needed a new welding positioner. That's a "big" deal in every sense of the word. Luckily, Koike Aronson Inc./Ransome was able to help.
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2010 Capital Spending Report indicates rebuilding set to beginThe metal fabricating and forming market isclearly in a rebuilding mode after theeconomic downturn in 2009. The 2010 FMACCapital Spending Survey indicates thatcompanies are interested in spending money oncapital equipment, around $1.3 billion worth,but that's down significantly from the $2.2that was expecting to be spent in 2008.
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5 traits to look for in a robotic cell operatorAutomated welding holds great promise forkeeping U.S. metal fabricators competitiveagainst their international counterpartsbecause it keeps labor costs down, but theserobotic welding cells still require somehuman intervention. Having said that,management doesn't want just anyone in therole of robotic welding cell operator. Hereare five characteristics that they can lookfor to ensure they get the right person forthe job.
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Punching holes in aerospace manufacturing theoriesUnison Industries, an aerospace partsmanufacturer, found out that a metalfabricator can offer a lot to theirmanufacturing efforts.
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Finishing off oxide layer problemsGeneral Sheet Metal Works, South Bend, Ind.,had a 0.25-in. part that forced them tochoose between stamping and laser cutting tofabricate the part. Luckily, the companydiscovered an oxidation removal machine thathelped to make laser cutting with oxygen thelogical choice for the job.
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Everything you wanted to know about overhead cranesMost fabricating operations have an overhead crane, but just what do these companies know about these material handling tools? This feature provides the answers to their questions.
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Tapping into new capabilities on punching machinesWhether in the guise of bolt-on tapping units or actual tapping tools that are housed in a turret, precision punch presses can handle tapping chores like never before. As a result, metal fabricators are considering these options to take the manual activity out of the fabricating mix.
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Die not in the mix for tool shopNortool Precision Machining and Tool has turned to a 3-D CAD/CAM package for both design and NC and has found that it is delivering quicker and more accurate bids, while simultaneously improving the quality of tool- and diemaking.
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El software mejora el desempeño del uso de material |
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Beginning the lean manufacturing journeyLAI International, Scottsdale, Ariz., is a precision manufacturers thatsupplies specialized parts to many of the most-demanding OEMs inthe world. Even with that success, the company realized there wasstill room to improve. As a result, it embarked on a lean journey andis seeing immediate results.
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Nontraditional fabricator chasing nontraditional marketsMatrix Metalcraft, Clinton Township, Mich.,has done plenty of prototype and productionwork for the automotive industry in the past,but with the downturn in the industry, it istargeting industries aligned with alternativepower generation for new business. In doingso, it has found out that its laser cuttingcapabilties will serve those efforts well.
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Is it time to put a robot in front of a press brake?North American fabricators have not been as active in adoptingautomated bending cells as their counterparts in other parts of theworld. But that may be changing. These five questions can help afabricator decide how to justify the case for a robotic press brake.
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Armored and ready to make a differenceDoug Bergeson of Bergeson Technology, Dawson, Minn., saw the carnage that improvised explosive devices caused in Iraq, so when he came on, he worked on a solution. He has one now and wants others to know about it.
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'We are all Shickels'Shickel Corp., Bridgewater, Va., has a very diversified customer base, a strong manufacturing tradition, and a commitment to exposing youngsters to the exciting world of manufacturing. For all those reasons, this 70-year-old company is the recipient of The FABRICATOR's 2009 Industry Award.
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EuroBLECH 2008: A celebration of metal fabricating and formingEuroBLECH is a celebration more than anything. Most of the booths have plenty of tables and, usually, a bar for customers, distributors, business partners, and friends to swing by, chat, have a drink, and talk about life both in and out of the industry. In fact, unlike shows in North America, a visitor will find materials suppliers—the folks that make the metal sheet, plate, and tube—among the exhibitors. Everyone comes together for this global event.
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Laser cutting for the first timeM&L Industries found a laser cutting machine for the right price and at the right size. After a year of laser cutting and bringing in new business, it looks like the right choice.
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Getting the weld right the first timeWhen a metal fabricating company moves into a new, larger building, it has a great opportunity to take a hard look at production flow. Victory Industrial Products, Batavia, Ohio, did just that and the results were extremely powerful.
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A new look at lift trucksCalifornia is on the leading edge of environmental protectionism, and because it is such a large industrial market, the state's environmental regulations are influencing what metal fabricators might be drivng in their facilities.
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Auto weld that ends wellRobotically welding a part made sense for Tommy Gate Co./Woodbine Manufacturing, Woodbine, Iowa, so they then made plenty of cents available to invest in a robotic welding cell from Genesis Systems.
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One nesting software for allMaurer Manufacturing, Spencer, Iowa, purchased a new plasma cutting table in late 2006 and decided it wanted one nesting program to run both the new plasma table and its slightly older Cincinnati laser cutting machine. After a slight stumble, the company found the solution it needed with MTC Software's ProNest program.
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The dirt on laser lensesThis roundup of laser lens providers gives tips on extending the life of lenses used in laser cutting.
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New roll bender 'bales' out farm implement manufacturerPowder River, a Provo, Utah-based fabricator of farm implements, turned to KNUTH Machine Tools USA for a three-roll bender the company uses to make its round bale feeders for horses.
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Fabrication business coming up racesMazworx, a shop that rebuilds engines for racing, fabricates custom parts for racing upgrades, and works on compact cars to prepare them for racing, is also involved in racing. The belief is that it can build up its reputation for racing parts through appearances at NHRA sport compact races throughout the Southeast.
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Of cars, this specialty vehicle manufacturer can do itM&M Vehicles Corp., Mexico, Mo., is less a car company and more of a fabricating shop. That's been the case from the beginning when Chris Miller and another employee cut diamond-plate aluminum sheet with a Skil saw blade turned backwards and then hand-bent the sheet to form boxes that graced those early used golf cars.
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The right trace at the right time |
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Recruit, train, and retain |
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Coming to your sensorsStamping sensors can go a long way in protecting valuable dies and eliminating downtime associated with repairing dies after crashes. So why aren't more shops using them? Perhaps it's because their misconceptions get in the way of making a wise investment.
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Service center fabricates its futureDenman & Davis calls itself the largest general-line, independent service center in the Northeast. The company has about 65,000 square feet of inventory and manufacturing space in Clifton, N.J., another 70,000 square feet in Slatersville, R.I., and another 35,000 in Albany, N.Y. The company distributes a variety of hot-rolled and cold-finished bars, structural shapes, sheets, and tubing, but has discovered a fruitful niche with plate, used in pressure vessel, power generation, and processing applications.
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Machine shop sees the (laser) lightMG Products Inc., Elkhart, Ind., successfully made the transition from a machine shop to a full-scale tube fabricator thanks to the investment in a laser tube cutter.
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Nothing standard about this fab shopRob Marelli left a family-owned metal fabricating company four years ago with the intention of doing things his way. Joined by a loyal group of managers and employees, he's found success at Seconn Fabrication. In the short time the company has been open, it has earned revenues of $9 million. And the company has done this by doing things other metal fabricating competitors aren't.
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Capital equipment spending remains upbeatMetal fabricators and formers are expected to spend more than $2.2 billion on capital equipment in 2008. The 2008 FMAC Capital Spending Survey provides more details.
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Festivus poles for the rest of us soulsThe Wagner Cos. has staked out its position as the world's foremost producer of Festivus poles. Yes, it's the plain pole that Frank Costanza put up in his living room as a rebuke of Christmas' commercialism in a Seinfeld episode in 1997.
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Forming a new approachAttendees of the fifth Hydroforming Conference and Exhibition, organized by the Tube & Pipe Association, International, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, learned that hydroforming technology is not dead yet.
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A new standard in forming bathtubsThe main hurdle to automating American Standard's bathtub forming line in its Salem, Ohio, facility was integrating new material handling tools into the older press line.
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Fabrication in transitionArcadia, Albany, N.Y., transitions from a metal supplier to a waterjet cutting shop to a laser cutting shop to a metal bender. Future plans call for the shop to evolve into a full-scale contract manufacturer.
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Better safe than saw awryWhen a machine operator cut a bundle of barstock open to load into a saw, the bands popped, moving the blocks that were put there to safely contain the bars. The bars fell on the operator's foot and trapped it. Not wanting to duplicate that nightmare, engineers at Kirsan Engineering, Kenosha, Wis., set about to create a method of loading barstock that relied on lift trucks, not cranes.
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Laser cutting with less labor and less hassleCan a four-man job shop keep up with the demands of its manufacturing customers? IMS, Shakopee, Minn., will make you think about that and give you reason to question other practices going on in your job shop.
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Tube fabricator, machine tool builder automates to accelerateStealth Manufacturing Inc., Savage, Minn., is a tube fabricator, and machine tool builder that automated its tube punching, laser cutting, and material handling to improve the efficiency of manufacturing its gas heater tubes and other tubular products.
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Tube fabricator bends with industry changesAs customers look for ways to add to their bottom-line performance, Harco Metal Products, Tempe, Ariz., has stepped forward with services that make the tube fabricator more valuable to its customer--and harder to replace.
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Making it in MexicoMexico is the land of fabricating opportunity, and those that believe that could be found at TECMA 2007, March 6-9, in Mexico City.
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Pipe fabricator saves big time with big bendsUniversal Pipe and Steel Supply, Fort Myers, Fla., needed a roll bender with greater capacity to capitalize on the market for larger pipe sections. The company found its answer with a four-roll bender from Bertsch.
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Automotive blanker presses onAmidst the bad news associated with Ford Motor Co., good news is surfacing in Jeffersonville, Ind., home of Kasle Metal Processing. The company is using a software tool to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible as it heads into one of its busiest months ever.
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Spending time with capital equipmentMetal fabricators and formers are expected to spend more than $2.3 billion on capital equipment in 2007. The 2007 FMAC Capital Spending Survey provides more details.
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Can your manufacturing software do this?Manufacturing software has come a long way in just the last five years. Independent software developers point out some of the advancements in manufacturing software in the hopes that some fabricators realize they may be missing out on some real production-optimization tools.
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Structurally, it's a job shopStructural steel shops book jobs by the shop hour. More jobs lead to more hours and inevitably longer delivery times. In many instances, just-in-time deliveries in the structural business can be measured with calendars, not stopwatches. Suburban Steel Supply Co., Gahanna, Ohio, tries not to fall into that traditional trap when servicing its customers.
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Drawing on new experiencesIn the past metal forming in the appliance industry meant giant presses with expensive tooling. Lead-times were forever, and change didn't come easy. Whirlpool Corp. in Fort Smith, Ark., is taking a new approach to metal forming, and flexible technologies are the key.
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Expanding upward and outwardWatson Engineering didn't have to add any laser operators during its most recent expansion effort. The reason was technology advancements associated with material handling and modern laser cutting devices.
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Euros zoned in on competingEuropean metal fabricators, among them a stainless steel cabinet-maker, an electronics contract manufacturer, and a commercial refrigerator appliance manufacturer, are staying competitive in the global marketplace with automated material handling systems that feed modern punching, laser cutting, shearing, and bending devices.
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Job diversity through a waterjetPacific Metal Cutting of Placentia, Calif., wasn't struggling when it bought its first waterjet in May 2004. After two years of waterjet ownership and the addition of a second table, the metal cutter is struggling to keep up with new business.
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Right on scheduleQC Metal Fabricators of Elkhart, Ind., witnessed improved scheduling and shipping with the implementation of new job shop management software.
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New handling instructionsIn 2005 precision stamper Weiss-Aug of East Hanover, N.J., achieved a reject rate of less than 1 part per million. The company credits the success to meticulous planning and almost flawless execution. Such an approach applies for Weiss-Aug even when it comes to uncoiling metal.
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Bernie and the jetJay Leno's car collection, housed at the Big Dog Garage in Burbank, Calif., is not meant to collect dust. These cars are to be driven. Bernard Juchli is in charge of that, and now he has a waterjet to help him fabricate hard-to-find or non-existent parts and to keep the cars on the road.
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Editorial Advisory Board RoundtableThe FABRICATOR invited the members of its Editorial Advisory Board together to discuss the state of skilled labor in North America and what the future looks like for tomorrow's fabricating and forming employees and employers.
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Simplicity 'n' press brakesSimplicity Manufacturing Inc. of Port Washington, Wis., needed new press brakes because it was about to increase its laser cutting capacity. The outdoor power equipment manufacturer turned to a vendor of Turkish-built press brakes for help and found the answer for which they were looking.
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Scrap the belt conveyorsThe traditional belt conveyors used to remove scrap from the stamping operations at American Trim's facility on Baxter Street in Lima, Ohio, just couldn't stand up to the gritty shop environment. The company found a successful alternative with a belt-less material movement solution from GSW Press Automation.
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Cushioning the blowHercules Machine Tool & Die Co. has intalled a fully programmable hydraulic cushion onto a mechanical press in hopes that it can cut down on try-out time and attract more business involving specialty stamped parts
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Reality TV: Frame-making in the U.S.Sumitomo Metal Mining USA (SMMU) Inc. has supplied cathode ray tube frams to some of the largest, high-end television manufacturers in the world from its Oceanside, Calif., facility. Despite the trend in moving manufacturing overseas to take advantage of cheaper labor pools, SMMU believes it is poised to remain competitive while maintaining its U.S. base of operations.
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Boiled over by laser's performanceKvaerner Power Inc.'s Fairmont, W.V., metal fabricating operation needed new market opportunities and someone to take over plasma cutting chores after its business partner went out of business. They found a Pennsylvania job shop to help with metal cutting and eventually learned that a 3-D laser could help them bring their outsourced jobs back in-house and that the laser could lead to new business.
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Metal spinner takes on OSHAOn May 10 Jerrold Dodd was not spinning a yarn about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The general manager and chief operating officer of a spinning company warned a congressional subcommittee about OSHA's aggressive action against his small company.
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Recreational tube cuttingIn the 1990s, Polaris Industries Inc. realized it needed to rethink the way tube fabricating was done at its Osceola, Wis., facility. Laser tube cutting proved to be the answer.
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Beyond Tool and DieIn the 1990s, Polaris Industries Inc. realized it needed to rethink the way tube fabricating was done at its Osceola, Wis., facility. Laser tube cutting proved to be the answer.
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Anchor's a way down the road to improvementA Fort Worth, Texas-based fabricator found that it was spending thousands in moving material from one building to the next for various operations. The company embarked on several expansion projects and invested in new equipment to help remedy the situation.
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Metal formers: Keep an eye on monitoring program |
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Lean on it |
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Plasma pleases plentyTechnological developments in lasers are positioning them as an attractive alternative to plasma. But fabricators are still sticking with plasma cutting for many applications where speed and cost-effective operation are concerns.
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A most excellent fabricatorA South Louisiana fabricator believes success in his fabricating endeavors involves a pride in workmanship, a passion in the craft, and perseverance in being the best. After 11 building expansions, Don Begneaud can say he has found a winning business philosophy.
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A 'bout' with the championRep. Don Manzullo speaks about taxes, steel tariffs, health care, and manufacturing's future.
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Do you see the light?In this article, The FABRICATOR® attempts to shine the light on opportunities for improvement in both the front office and on the shop floor. In this case, the light is on the lights—as well as the heating and ventilating system and other energy-sapping devices.
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Taxing situationMost fabricators aren't knowledgeable about tax laws and don't have time to immerse themselves in tax updates. They're too busy on the shop floor.
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The Bold in ArchesThe phraseobstructed viewis probably most connected with older sports stadiums. For example, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, depending on where your seat is, watching Sammy Sosa in action in right field might be replaced by a view of a rusting steel girder.
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