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More from Eric Lundin
Better tube bending cuts production time, improves consistency for heavy equipment manufacturer
- By Eric Lundin
- Jul 8, 2013
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
After decades of using an old manual tube bender with no features, Kress Corp. took a huge leap in technology when it purchased a new bender with CNC, full-color interface, and stacked tooling capability. The result is a 10-fold productivity improvement.
Fabricator brings smiles to Sunshine State
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 28, 2013
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
After his yacht-building business dried up in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, entrepreneur Scott Gerber decided to build a simple sculpture from tubing. Based on a basic stick figure, the first one was a fisherman. Gerber placed a few around town, encountered some interest, and suddenly a new business was born.
Fabricator follows forming trend in HVAC industry
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 3, 2013
- Shop Management
- Article
Copper is extremely useful in the HVAC industry, but the high and volatile price can wreak havoc on profit margins. Some fabricators have found that they can substitute a couple of aluminum alloys with good results. However, aluminum isn’t as easy to work with as copper. This article tells how Harco Metal Products developed forming and brazing processes for this not-so-forgiving material.
- From The Fabricator
Nets to catch and protect
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 3, 2013
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
When Industrial Laser Systems was asked to fabricate a tubular frame for a military vehicle, it rose to the challenge to cut, makes some holes, bend, and swage the tube ends. The result is a tubular frame that is affixed to the outside of patrol vehicles; combined with Kevlar® netting, the system prevents explosive projectiles from hitting the vehicle, with great success.
- From The Fabricator
Data, statistics, and context
- By Eric Lundin
- May 31, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Some of the latest headlines seem to tell a gloomy story about the state of the economy. On My 31 the Dept. of Commerce released the latest data on consumer spending, and it told of the first decrease in the last 12 months. To quote an article posted at www.nbcnews.com, “Consumer spending fell in...
- From The Fabricator
A grim reminder
- By Eric Lundin
- May 21, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Much of a town flattened. Entire neighborhoods reduced to piles of debris. Hundreds injured. More than two dozen killed. It’s a grim reminder that the confluence of weather systems in the central U.S., specifically masses of cold, dry air from the north and fronts of warm, moist air from the...
- From The Fabricator
Hey buddy … wanna buy a watch?
- By Eric Lundin
- May 13, 2013
- Consumables
- Blog Post
Fake Rolex® watches, knock-off Armani® handbags, counterfeit Nike® shoes, pirated movies of all sorts—if you’ve traveled to any countries that have lax trademark, patent, and copyright protection, you’ve seen plenty of faked goods. It’s pathetic, to say the least. The companies that make...
Automated system helps manufacturer’s reshoring efforts
- By Eric Lundin
- Apr 19, 2013
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
When Oddello Industries, a supplier of fabricated assemblies to OEMs in a variety of markets, was invited to bid on a contract for a high-end adjustable mattress foundation, it searched for a piercing machine and a cutting machine that could handle the tubular portion of the project. It combined the two machines into a single integrated unit that processes more than 15 miles of tube per day.
CNC tube bender provides precise bends for monocoque frames
- By Eric Lundin
- Apr 17, 2013
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Industrial Laser Solutions, Atlanta, has carved out a niche as a firm that engineers and develops its own products. During the downturn that followed the financial crisis of 2008, the company decided to take on some additional work, and it found itself in the fabrication business. This article tells the story of its first fabrication project, including some problems and practical solutions.
- From The Fabricator
A litany of amateur mistakes
- By Eric Lundin
- Apr 16, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
At 7:03 pm on November 1, 1955, a DC-6B (United Airlines Flight 629) crashed near Longmont, Colorado. The Civil Aeronautics Board and the FBI carried out a comprehensive recovery effort, and eventually pieced together most of the airplane. The tail had severed off cleanly, and when engineers from...
- From The Fabricator
Stick figures bring smiles in Sarasota
- By Eric Lundin
- Apr 8, 2013
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
After his yacht-building business dried up in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, entrepreneur Scott Gerber decided to build a simple sculpture from tubing. Based on a basic stick figure, the first one was a fisherman. Gerber placed a few around town, encountered some interest, and suddenly a new business was born.
- From The Fabricator
Hands off the merchandise!
- By Eric Lundin
- Apr 4, 2013
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
In early March, my colleague Vicki Bell wrote a blog about a common and highly dreaded problem these days: Metal theft. I am sure the main target is copper, which typically fetches more than $3.00 per pound (spot price), and it probably started with stealing plumbing pipe from abandoned buildings....
Myths in the cryogenic treatment and processing of metal
- By Eric Lundin
- Mar 15, 2013
- Shop Management
- Article
Cryogenic treatment of metal is relatively new to the manufacturing industry. Here we clear up some myths about the often-misunderstood cryogenic process.
- From The Fabricator
High-performance, high-speed happiness
- By Eric Lundin
- Feb 1, 2013
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Article
After realizing he was spending too much time traveling, risk management consultant Hank Padilla decided to take a dramatic career detour. He did some vocational coursework and opened a fabrication shop, serving the local area (Littleton, Colo.) with precision tube bending and GTAW for roll cages and exhaust systems.
Tube producer knocked down, but not out
- By Eric Lundin
- Feb 1, 2013
- Shop Management
- Article
When one of its facilities was struck by an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011, Independence Tube Corp. vowed to rebuild the facility. The reconstruction, which was aided by its staff, its customers, and its suppliers, was a Herculean effort that resulted in a small miracle exactly a year later: the new facility reopened for business on April 27, 2012.
- 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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