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More from Tim Heston
- From The Fabricator
How automation affects manufacturing shop culture
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 25, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
When automation reduces the need for skilled workers, what happens to shop culture for fabricators and manufacturers?
- From The Fabricator
How an acquisition in metal fabrication saved jobs
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 15, 2021
- Laser Cutting
- Article
One laser cutting-only shop was looking to expand. A medical equipment fabricator was struggling through a tumultuous 2020. The two found each other just in time and formed WESCOBHT Manufacturing in Colorado.
- From The Fabricator
How vibratory weld conditioning can help weld distortion
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 10, 2021
- Arc Welding
- Article
For the right application, vibratory weld conditioning can mitigate weld distortion, increase throughput, and make the welder’s life easier.
- From The Fabricator
The (really) basic basics of press brake tooling
- By Tim Heston
- Feb 18, 2021
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Imagine you know nothing about sheet metal and it’s your first day in the press brake department. Where do you begin? Well, the basics.
- From The Fabricator
Fighting automation boredom at the modern manufacturer
- By Tim Heston
- Feb 15, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
As manufacturing becomes more automated and efficient, operators can be bored out of their skull around the shop. The FABRICATOR Editor Tim Heston writes how good ideas, not more parts per hour, can improve shop empowerment.
- From The Fabricator
Tendon Manufacturing ramps up air purifier production
- By Tim Heston
- Feb 2, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
In early 2020 Cleveland-based fabrication shop Tendon Manufacturing jumped into action to meet an unprecedented, pandemic-induced demand for air purifiers.
- From The Fabricator
6 steps to Industry 4.0 in metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 28, 2021
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Implementing Industry 4.0 doesn’t happen with the flip of a switch. It’s an evolution that, in time, will change the nature of how the metal fabrication industry and the rest of the world makes things.
- From The Fabricator
Railroad metal fabricator navigates a tragedy, and thrives
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 27, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
In November 2015 the founder of family-owned LinkUp International, Mike Fritzel, died in a tragic accident. Half a decade later, his sons are leading the company, a metal fabricated products supplier for the railroad industry based in Dallas, into new territory.
- From The Fabricator
Hiring for attitude while hunting for skilled labor in manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 26, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
How does a metal fabrication shop hire someone who’s a good fit? As one Indiana fabricator has found, good communication during the hiring process has a lot to do with it.
- From The Fabricator
Is an Amazon-like metal fabricator possible?
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 7, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
Could the metal fabrication industry see a company as dominant as Amazon is in the retail business? It’s a possibility, especially if the vision of Industry 4.0 becomes reality.
- From The Fabricator
Better connection design speeds structural fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 1, 2021
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
An alternative, automated approach to connection design with cloud-based analytics software could have profound implications for metal fabrication, erection, and the overall construction timeline.
- From The Fabricator
How one structural fabricator boosts throughput
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 28, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Riding the e-commerce wave, Georgia-based Division 5 has become a go-to fabricator for warehouse construction. But the boom won’t last forever.
- From The Fabricator
Fiber laser cutting assist gas technology evolves
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 27, 2020
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Fabricators now have more laser cutting assist gas options than ever. And as fiber laser powers increase, so will the assist gas possibilities.
- From The Fabricator
Avoid speed bumps at the press brake
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 21, 2020
- Bending and Forming
- Article
A hang-up in the bending department can throw a wrench into a press brake operator’s workday. Here are some efficient strategies according to Jonah Higgs, tech leader at Wisconsin-based Applied Laser Technologies and creator of web-based tool Bend Genius.
- From The Fabricator
2021 metal fabrication forecast: The road to recovery continues
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 21, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
The pandemic has caused obvious economic problems. But some industries have faired better than others: Manufacturing has been leading a recovery heading into 2021. And how metal fabricators perform next year will depend on their end markets and if more shops embrace the fiber laser.
- 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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- April 24, 2024
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