Articles written by Michael Bishop

Michael Bishop

Contributing Writer

Results: 14

	A giant among machines Greiner specializes in structural steel and heavy plate fabrication. It does work for power plants and the mining industry. In the 33 years the company has been in business, it has done structural steel jobs in an industry where the work always seems to be getting larger and heavier. It recently... Publish date: October 8, 2009
	Reusing waterjet cutting abrasive For shops that cut using a waterjet machine, the abrasive in the pressurized stream of water, which allows the system to cut away metal, is a significant capital investment. Because of recent technology developments, a fabricator now can recycle the abrasive material and use it several times.... Publish date: June 29, 2009
	Technologies help to make shops structurally sound Tough economic conditions have hit the construction industry as hard as they have many other industries. These problems in commercial construction are affecting structural steel fabricators. New technologies are especially benefiting four important structural steel fabricating processes by... Publish date: May 19, 2009
	Bobcat pounces on cost-saving opportunities Bobcat determined that the nesting software on its laser cutting systems didn't maximize the capabilities of the machines. After the company decided to purchase new nesting software, programmers outlined what capabilities they wanted. The company purchased ProNest® from MTC Software,... Publish date: February 12, 2009
	New dimension, familiar direction H.W. Metals offers punching, shearing, arc welding, machining, oxyfuel cutting, and standard and high-definition plasma cutting. The company found that there was more and more work it couldn't do for its customers because some jobs required laser-cut parts. The company decided to purchase a laser... Publish date: February 10, 2009
	Don't rule out plasma for cutting aluminum In any discussion about how to cut metal, plasma cutting is right up there with laser and waterjet. The technology gets a bad rap, though, when the discussion turns to cutting aluminum. There are five preconceptions that many fabricators have about turning to plasma to cut aluminum. But according... Publish date: January 27, 2009
	Don't get stuck wondering about composites Automakers and other manufacturers are interested in utilizing composites more in their manufacturing operations. Composites come with their own set of challenges, and one of the most important challenges is how to join the engineered material to a metal correctly using an adhesive. When joining... Publish date: November 25, 2008
	Pallet changer, tower, or shelving system with that laser? When fabricators decide to automate material handling in their laser cutting operations, they have several choices to make. The decision on whether to automate—and what kind of system makes the most sense—will depend on the shop's capabilities, its production capacity, and available... Publish date: October 14, 2008
	When does a punch/laser make sense? Hawkeye Industries Inc., Tupelo, Miss., was getting more and more orders for parts that required both punching and laser cutting. To meet the growing demand, the company purchased a combination punch/laser machine. Some shops are more suited than others to this technology—combination... Publish date: August 26, 2008
	Preventing torch fires in welding and cutting operations Welding and cutting, which accounts for 1 percent of structure fires and 4 percent of nonhousehold property damage, is the most dangerous type of hot work, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Companies that weld and cut should take specific steps to increase safety and... Publish date: July 15, 2008
	Driven to integrate Changes come often in the steel industry--a business that sticks around long enough might eventually bear little resemblance to the version established at its inception. This is the case for Parkview Metal Products, Lake Zurich, Ill. The company opened in 1950 as a tool and die shop in Chicago,... Publish date: May 13, 2008
	Curving out a niche In celebration of its 50th anniversary in April 2005, McDonald's® opened a 24,000-sq.-ft. restaurant in Chicago. The restaurant's most eye-catching feature is a pair of parabolic arches that stand 60 ft. high. Constructed from 20-in. by 12-in. tubes, the arches were curved by Chicago Metal... Publish date: April 15, 2008
	Welding more with less With the gap between new projects and available welders only expected to widen, welding companies have to make up the difference by utilizing machines that can compensate for the labor shortage and maximize the productivity of available welders. New developments in orbital welding technology are... Publish date: February 12, 2008
	2 strategies for optimizing bending operations Fabricators typically encounter bottlenecks during setup and production in their press brake bending operations—obstacles that lead to downtime and fewer operators actually processing material. Representatives from Amada, LVD Strippit, Bystronic Inc. addressed these issues in a recent... Publish date: January 15, 2008