- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Our Publications
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
More from Tim Heston
- From The Fabricator
Job security in manufacturing: Why all the negativity?
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 7, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
The labor market is tight. Wages are going up. In metal fabrication, small companies are paying just as well if not better than bigger firms, according to a recent survey from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International®. Considering all this, why all the negativity? High uncertainty about the future may have something to do with it.
- From The Fabricator
Structural fabricator has trial-by-fire leadership succession
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 3, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
Bass Mechanical, a mechanical contractor and structural fabricator in southeast Pennsylvania, has transformed during the past two years. The company founder died unexpectedly, and his 27-year-old son, who at one point did not plan to enter the family business, is setting the stage for long-term growth.
- From The Fabricator
Flexible metal fabrication, however you slice it
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 31, 2016
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Article
MF&B Restaurant Systems Inc., a pizza oven manufacturer in Dunbar, Pa., increases its fabrication flexibility by shortening punch tool changeovers, making good use of form tools, and making product design choices.
- From The Fabricator
Safety and ergonomics strategy at Heatcraft: Do it safely, or not at all
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 28, 2016
- Safety
- Article
Heatcraft Worldwide Refrigeration, a division of Lennox International, has a culture in which safety is baked into the organization’s technology, processes, and mindset. If a project can’t be done safely, it isn’t worth doing at all.
- From The Fabricator
Blast cleaning large fabrications efficiently
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 24, 2016
- Finishing
- Article
Two blast room products aim to minimize the non-value-added time in manual blast cleaning.
- From The Fabricator
Engagement, modern manufacturing, and why we work
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 20, 2016
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Variety is the spice of life, and it also may be the seed from which employee engagement can grow
- From The Fabricator
Metal fabrication investment strategy: Keep buggering on
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 13, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
This year’s “Financial Ratios & Operational Benchmarking Survey” from the FMA shows an industry that’s facing tight competition, but also one that is pushing on, investing, and making efficient use of resources.
- From The Fabricator
Operator talent: The heart of the plate and angle rolling business
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 11, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Plate and angle rolling remains extremely dependent on operator skill. According to a U.S. roll shop roundtable discussion held at a Davi angle rolling event in Italy, that skill really is what sets a custom rolling operation apart.
- From The Fabricator
Celebrating simplicity and flexibility on Manufacturing Day
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 7, 2016
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
It's Manufacturing Day, when we celebrate where this industry has been, what it is, and, especially, where it is going.
- From The Fabricator
Election season, management style, and the metal fabricator
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 6, 2016
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Cultural challenges on the shop floor may relate to challenges in politics and, for that matter, society at large.
- From The Fabricator
Sheet metal blanking milestone: Continuous-feed laser blanking launches into production
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 4, 2016
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Earlier this year Worthington Specialty Processing, a toll processor serving the automotive industry, among others, installed a continuous-feed, coil-fed laser blanking line. An idea with roots in the 1990s has finally become reality.
- From The Fabricator
Is this laser cutting lens damaged?
- By Tim Heston
- Sep 16, 2016
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Laser operators and maintenance technicians have a new diagnostic tool: a tiny crossed polarizer, which can detect lens stress. The crossed polarizer clips onto a smartphone and utilizes the phone’s polarized flat-panel display.
- From The Fabricator
Moving additive manufacturing forward
- By Tim Heston
- Sep 14, 2016
- Additive Manufacturing
- Article
EWI’s Buffalo Manufacturing Works, which opened in 2015, has resources covering all seven major categories of additive manufacturing. But having access to the technology and equipment in-house is just half the story. The other half involves experts in design, materials, processes, and quality all working together to move additive technology forward.
- From The Fabricator
Winning new business in custom metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Sep 14, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
It can take a long time for a prospect to become a major customer, and of course there are no guarantees. This makes building a diverse customer base easier said than done. Through rebranding and restructuring, one custom fabricator in Minnesota aims to change this.
- From The Fabricator
College and the manufacturer
- By Tim Heston
- Sep 13, 2016
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Why is college so expensive? Sky-high demand may have something to do with it. Other businesses could learn a thing or two from custom fabricators and other manufacturing sectors, where a four-year college degree isn't the only ticket to success.
- 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...
- Trending Articles
Capturing, recording equipment inspection data for FMEA
Tips for creating sheet metal tubes with perforations
Are two heads better than one in fiber laser cutting?
Supporting the metal fabricating industry through FMA
Zekelman Industries to invest $120 million in Arkansas expansion
- Industry Events
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI
- Upcoming Webcasts
Navigating Change: The Manufacturer’s Guide to Change Management with ERP Implementation
- May 16, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: ECI Software Solutions, M1