The quickest boost for most organizations' bottom line is finding opportunities for decreasing costs without sacrificing quality. An area frequently overlooked is the inventory of parts kept for maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO).

Cutting tubing with a circular cutoff saw is a common metal fabrication operation. This type of saw can produce a smooth finish that requires little secondary finishing.

The automotive industry is under extreme pressure to improve the productivity and quality of its operations. Tier 1 suppliers especially are being squeezed by a combination of very competitive upfront bidding for contracts and yearly price reductions. One area ripe for savings in most automotive companies is the total cost associated with welding quality.

Torch brazing copper tubing is one of the most common–but widely misunderstood–joining processes. It's possible to make sound joints that are just as strong as the copper tube, easier to braze, and less expensive to produce. But first you have to know basic brazing concepts, including joint design, filler metal behavior, and metallurgy.

While it is common knowledge that slit coil handling and packaging often limit the productivity of even the most modern, high–speed coil slitting line, coil processors generally spend too little time examining the effectiveness of these operations.

"Globalization isn't news," said Lawrence J. Kendzior, a partner at Gleeson Sklar Sawyers & Cumpata LLP (GSSC), a privately held accounting firm that focuses on what it calls "middle-market manufacturers." "The news is that it's suddenly impacting companies that have never before been affected."