As a consultant to the industry, the author has had the opportunity to discuss coil straightening and leveling with many people. In this article, he reviews 12 common misconceptions he has heard from those people.

In early 2005 SPX CONTECH decided to evaluate the abrasive disks used in its 22 workcells for aluminum grinding in its Auburn, Ind., facility. By the end of the year the new disks had increased the number of parts processed and exhibited improved life per disk.

Several new breeds of high strength steels have arrived that bring with them a host of new opportunities. However, these new breeds also bring with them special challenges not common to bending mild steel, and with them, the need for new tools and new rules for proper bending.

Fabricators are increasingly using compressed air in laser cutting, instead of relying on laser assist gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. Recent findings reveal that shop air can be used on more material types and thicknesses, including parts on which the edge quality is visible.

What's the point in purchasing an expensive laser cutting machine if you are going to waste money-making opportunities by unloading parts manually? Good nesting software, proper maintenance, and the latest unloading technology can help to make automated laser cutting and unloading a reality.

Some tips and suggestions for best practices that will increase your efficiency and precision and prolong the life of your plasma cutter and consumables include: Take the time to read the manual thoroughly; develop a "preflight routine" visually follow the arc that is coming from the bottom of the cut—the arc should exit the material at a 15- to 20-degree angle opposite the direction of travel; and maintain a 1/16- to 1/8-inch distance between the tip and the workpiece.

Amidst the bad news associated with Ford Motor Co., good news is surfacing in Jeffersonville, Ind., home of Kasle Metal Processing. The company is using a software tool to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible as it heads into one of its busiest months ever.