If you're considering adding an ironworker, you should know not only what type of ironworker is best for your facility and end product, but also what options will offer you the productivity level you want. For this reason, you should learn about CNC controls as you investigate the ironworkers on the market today.

Forty years ago Ford and Ferrari were engaged in a fight-to-the-finish struggle to take top racing honors. Ford used its GT40 to snap Ferrari's six-time winning streak at the 24 Hours of LeMans, one of racing's most prestigious events. In 2003 the rivalry was back as Ford unveiled the high-performance GT, a niche car rich in aluminum and developed with the help of modern technologies such as superplastic forming (a.k.a. hot stamping) and friction stir welding.

Gas-shielded flux cored arc welding (FCAW) is known for its high deposition rates and out-of-position welding capability in heavy manufacturing and fabrication applications. In an industry often averse to change, many companies consider their current FCAW practices and equipment as trustworthy family members: always reliable, with no reason to change.

FCAW not only is easy to teach and to use, it's one of the most flexible welding processes around.