C&S Metal Fabricating, Houston, fabricates parts for the oil and petrochemical industry. When it purchased a thermal cutting table with the latest controller technology, it took the unusual step of keeping all nest designs down on the shop floor, not in the front office as many other shops do.

To achieve a competitive position against low-cost countries, tool- and diemakers must reduce costs by at least 25 percent and shorten lead-time by about 50 percent.

With the advent of transistorized controls in resistance welding, power supplies are available in which feedback can be used to control current, voltage, or power delivered. The use and benefits of these control modes are not well understood, leading to underutilization of the technology. It is important to understand the fundamentals of the control modes as applicable to DC and inverter power supplies and the special situations that you might encounter in their application.

While other automotive suppliers are struggling or going under, Tier II supplier of ride control components Tennessee Stampings established a lean program that merited a regional manufacturs' award and helped them grow 23 percent per year.

Mechanized pipe GTAW was first introduced about 50 years ago for nuclear power plants, and then for steam-generation components and process piping. Orbital FCAW was developed to overcome the limitations of orbital GTAW for large-diameter, heavy-wall pipe. With orbital FCAW, deposition rates of 8 lbs./hr. are achievable. Just as a power saw is a tool for a carpenter, orbital welding systems are a productivity tool for the welder that empower him or her to weld faster and more accurately.

By providing time-based waveform data on current, voltage, resistance, power, force, and displacement—as well as peak and RMS values—external weld monitors are able to provide the necessary data that can be used to understand, optimize, and benchmark the resistance welding process and verify accompanying equipment

Using conventional rack and shelving systems to store and retrieve dies is inefficient and can cause damage to dies. Five critical areas of concern are space utilization, worker productivity, potential for die damage, ergonomics and cost justification. Shops can reach new lean levels by improvements in these areas.

While other automotive suppliers are struggling or going under, Tier II supplier of ride control components Tennessee Stampings established a lean program that merited a regional manufacturs' award and helped them grow 23 percent per year.