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More from Tim Heston
- From The Fabricator
How a plate rolling rookie becomes a guru
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 3, 2015
- Bending and Forming
- Article
How does a plate rolling rookie become a guru? According to Ken Pecho, project engineer at Chicago Metal Rolled Products, it requires good communication. So how do you really define good communication? For plate rolling (and many other shop skills), you can break it down into three critical components: collaboration, observation, and patience.
- From The Fabricator
Metal fabrication in 2016: Diversification proves its worth
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 2, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
2015 has been a tale of two markets—commodities and everything else. Demand for food, fuel, and materials is suffering and prices are dropping. But low prices in these areas are spurring growth elsewhere. Many predict this tale to continue into 2016.
- From The Fabricator
Press brake training: Passing the torch
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 1, 2015
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Southern Metalcraft Inc.’s press brake veteran will be retiring at the end of 2016, and he is now passing the torch to someone who never worked on a press brake until 2009. So how did the rookie learn so quickly? Technical aptitude plays a role. But more important than that, the veteran and rookie get along and just work well together.
- From The Fabricator
2016 capital spending forecast in metal fabrication: The growth continues
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 30, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
According to the “2016 Capital Spending Forecast” from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, total capital spending will edge up a little more than 2 percent next year. Still, certain equipment categories, including welding and bending, may experience dramatic gains.
- From The Fabricator
FABTECH 2015: The direct-diode laser and tuning the beam profile
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 23, 2015
- Laser Cutting
- Blog Post
The direct-diode laser ups its presence at this year's FABTECH.
- From The Fabricator
FABTECH 2015: Stringing a digital thread through the manufacturing supply chain
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 20, 2015
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
A "digital thread" extending up and down the manufacturing supply chain might sound like science fiction. But as evident at this year's FABTECH, the digital thread is becoming reality.
- From The Fabricator
FABTECH 2015: A metaphorical pit stop in the productivity race
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 19, 2015
- Metals/Materials
- Blog Post
NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace was a hit at this year's show. Considering the nature of the sport, fast-paced while still rooted in advanced engineering, it's easy to see why attendees relate so well. And perhaps no one related better than those who exhibited at the show as part of an emerging field: 3-D printing.
- From The Fabricator
FABTECH 2015: Innovation to serve the company, not the process
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 18, 2015
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
A certain excitement permeated this year's show, and it wasn't just about this incredibly fast laser, that press brake that eliminates setup time, or that welding power source that connects to the cloud and simplifies welding parameter selection. It was about how all these technologies and more can work together to make a shop better.
- From The Fabricator
FABTECH, community, and normalcy
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 17, 2015
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
FABTECH was bigger than ever. The terrible news on Friday puts things in perspective, and yet shows just how valuable the "normalcy" of a trade show, and a healthy industry, really is.
- From The Fabricator
Manufacturing Fundamentals first, then improvement
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 10, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Sustaining improvement efforts remains difficult for many shops, but sustaining may not be so difficult with a foundation of good business fundamentals in manufacturing. This includes accurate bills of materials, accurate routings, good inventory control, a documented system for materials planning and procurement, concise business rules, and employee training.
- From The Fabricator
How SWOT and lean go together
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 5, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
A SWOT analysis covers a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. But how do you really define strengths and weaknesses? Much of it can come from data gleaned from a good flow assessment.
- From The Fabricator
Why machine monitoring matters
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
Machine monitoring in real-time is gaining traction in metal fabrication. MTConnect, a machine communication standard, has a toehold in the metal business.
- From The Fabricator
Dutch metal fabrication: About flow
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Bending and Forming
- Article
One theme carried throughout a recent LVD press tour of custom fabricators in Holland: With fast changeover and the ability to access the right information at the right time, even a custom fabricator with the highest product mix can achieve smooth part flow.
- From The Fabricator
Laser weld penetration: What you need to know now
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Laser Welding
- Article
See how inline coherent imaging monitors weld penetration by measuring the distance to the bottom of the keyhole, offering realtime laser weld penetration feedback.
- From The Fabricator
Celebrating the people in manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Manufacturing Day celebrates what’s at the heart of the real world of progressive manufacturing. It’s about people talking and working together to make their lives, and the lives of their customers, easier.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 03/05/2024
- Running Time:
- 65:35
After Ludlow Manufacturing Inc. (LMI) received The Fabricator's 2024 Industry Award, Todd Ludlow, founder and president of the...
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