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More from Tim Heston
- From The Fabricator
Automation, scheduling software drive metal fabricator’s growth
- By Tim Heston
- Jun 6, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Supervisors and department managers at TMCO Inc., Lincoln, Neb., focus on flow. There’s no expediting and little drama, just production. The company’s organizational structure, fabrication technology, scheduling software, and shop culture help make it possible.
- From The Fabricator
The risks and rewards of tariffs and pricing instability
- By Tim Heston
- Jun 6, 2018
- Metals/Materials
- Blog Post
Material price fluctuations and increased competition present new opportunities for some metal fabricators. Continued uncertainty, however, remains a sticking point.
- From The Fabricator
How one metal fabricator navigates change
- By Tim Heston
- Jun 6, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Although the Larsens have been in metal manufacturing for decades, they underwent a rebirth in 1999 with the launch of Larsen Manufacturing. Over the past 19 years, the organization has navigated through something that seems to be ever present in modern manufacturing: change.
- From The Fabricator
In custom metal fabrication, time means everything
- By Tim Heston
- Jun 6, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
K-zell Metals in Phoenix takes an unusual approach to managing a custom fabrication operation. It doesn’t sell fabricated products; instead, it sells the time that goes into making those fabricated products. That subtle distinction makes a big difference.
- From The Additive Report
3-D printing, thinking anew, and breaking the rules
- By Tim Heston
- Jun 1, 2018
- Additive Manufacturing
- Blog Post
Additive manufacturing isn’t ubiquitous, and it won’t change the world. But if fabricators think with a fresh perspective, additive manufacturing might change how a fab shop operates. Often, this calls for some serious engineering and holistic thinking.
- From The Additive Report
Finite element analysis meets metal additive manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- May 31, 2018
- Additive Manufacturing
- Blog Post
Simulation software will help when it comes to adopting metal additive manufacturing technologies. Individual pieces can be expensive, and trial and error produces some expensive scrap. Simulation software aims to eliminate that.
- From The Additive Report
Why should a metal fabricator care about additive manufacturing?
- By Tim Heston
- May 30, 2018
- Additive Manufacturing
- Blog Post
Additive manufacturing isn’t taking over the world. But behind the hype, there’s a lot of opportunity.
- From The Additive Report
Cold spray meets metal additive manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- May 29, 2018
- Additive Manufacturing
- Article
As a young technology, at least relative to other manufacturing disciplines, additive manufacturing can be difficult to define. In one sense, we’re in the Commodore-Atari-Apple-IBM-PC stage. A host of technologies are vying for dominance, and every year is different from the next.
- From The Fabricator
Harnessing staff tension at the custom metal fabricator
- By Tim Heston
- May 7, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Attendees at the FMA Annual Meeting discovered how tension between employees isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s what drives a company forward
- From The Fabricator
The FABRICATOR’s Leadership Summit report: Metal fabricators plan for growth
- By Tim Heston
- May 6, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Metal fabrication is already a complex animal, and it becomes even more so as shops navigate various external forces, from tariffs to customer consolidations. In March, shop executives gathered at the FMA Annual Meeting to talk about ways to turn these challenges into opportunities for growth.
- From The Fabricator
U-Haul ramps up metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- May 5, 2018
- Laser Cutting
- Article
U-Haul’s highly automated metal fabrication operation in Arizona looks nothing like it did just a few years ago.
- From The Fabricator
The business case for pursuing tube
- By Tim Heston
- May 4, 2018
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Some precision sheet metal operations are pursuing a one-stop-shop strategy that includes tube fabrication. Any new venture involves risks, but with the right approach to tube, a fabricator can reap the rewards.
- From The Additive Report
Sheet metal fabrication meets additive manufacturing: Insights from RAPID+TCT
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 27, 2018
- Additive Manufacturing
- Blog Post
The industry's growth is astounding. In the years to come, metal fabricators may look at a certain tool or fixture and ask, can we print that?
- From The Fabricator
How robotic welding affects shop culture
- By Dan Davis and Tim Heston
- Apr 12, 2018
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
Bring in a welding robot, and people think their job is at risk. It’s an old story, and perhaps not quite as common today, but bringing in a welding robot still has a cultural impact. If done right, though, the net result should be positive.
- From The Fabricator
Smart supply chain strategies lead to quick response
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 10, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Workplace Modular Systems has gone through a subtle evolution since 2014. It responds quicker and produces more with available resources. This is thanks not only to the quick changeover capabilities of modern equipment, but also smart inventory management.
- 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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