While bending round tube and pipe involves many variables and challenges, the difficulties in bending nonround shapes are more numerous and complicated. Among the most common shapes are square, rectangular, and oval (elliptical and flat-sided). None react to the bending force in the same way that round shapes do, so understanding how the material reacts is the first step in learning about bending nonrounds.

The most important role of a CAD operator is to verify that the design can be flattened. Columnist Gerald Davis provides some guidance on that subject.

A transformer manufacturer completely automates folding machine programming.

A tube laser spurs a shop to think about design and metal fabrication in a new way.

IMEC, a small job shop in southwest Missouri, invests in automation not necessarily to increase capacity, but to increase flexibility.

A beginning stick welder can produce better welds by paying attention to the five basic elements to establish a good, consistent technique: current setting, length of the arc, angle of electrode,manipulation of electrode, and speed of travel.

Don't forget a component of the system sometimes can dictate whether a robotic welding integration succeeds or fails: the fixturing.

LAI International, Scottsdale, Ariz., is a precision manufacturer that supplies specialized parts to many of the most-demanding OEMs in the world. Even with that success, the company realized there was still room to improve. As a result, it embarked on a lean journey and is seeing immediate results.