Picking the right press brake has never been an easy task and it continues to get harder all the time. New hydraulic systems offer unbelievable control and sophisticated hydraulic valving that were unimaginable just a few short years ago.

In 1993, the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to take emergency regulatory action to protect workers from the risks of occupational cancers and respiratory illnesses due to exposure to metalworking fluids (MWFs). Bureaucratic wheels turn slowly.

Two years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, most people's lives have returned to some degree of normalcy, but what happened on that day will never be forgotten. For one metal sculptor, remembering has become a crusade to create from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center a lasting memorial of the tragic event and the resilience of the human spirit.

The hand is one of the most complex parts of your body. It enables you to execute simple or complex jobs that cannot be performed by any other part of the body. Without your hands, it would be extremely difficult to do even those routine tasks that we take for granted every day.

At first glance, it doesn't seem that the compatibility of the lubricant used in the roll forming process needs much attention. You'd better look again. It may surprise you that the chemical and physical properties of the roll forming lubricant leave fingerprints in at least six different areas of the operation.

In this article Gary Morphy reviews high-pressure and pressure sequence hydroforming and discusses factors to consider when deciding which process is best for a particular application. The decision should be based in part on anticipating future needs.