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Articles tagged with "aluminum"
Results: 76
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Plasma cutting stainless steel and aluminum: Investigating thermal and chemical changes in the heat-affected zoneThis study conducted at Hypertherm characterizes thermal and chemical changes in plasma-cut stainless steel and aluminum alloys and recommends process alternatives that may improve aesthetics and cut quality to improve forming and fabricating of the materials. The systems used were water-injection PAC, conventional dual-gas PAC, and high-precision PAC. It was learned that the heat-affected zone (HAZ) is small in plasma-cut pieces, HAZ varies with speed and power, faster cutting produces less HAZ, and more heat per square inch can produce less HAZ.
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Don't rule out plasma for cutting aluminum: Clearing up the misconceptionsIn any discussion about how to cut metal, plasma cutting is right up there with laser and waterjet. The technology gets a bad rap, though, when the discussion turns to cutting aluminum. There are five preconceptions that many fabricators have about turning to plasma to cut aluminum. But according to three experts, new plasma cutting systems produce good results on aluminum.
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Cutting exotic alloys: Circular saw helps shop land aircraft tubing projectCutting 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.
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Exploring complementary cutting methods: Comparing capabilities of laser, plasma, EDM to waterjet technologyThe various cutting methods available to fabrication shops today can be both a little daunting and very beneficial. Choice is good--learn how to make the most of the diversity all your choices offer to you.
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Festivus poles for the rest of us souls: No grievances for Milwaukee fabricator who turns aluminum poles into holiday funThe Wagner Cos. has staked out its position as the world's foremost producer of Festivus poles. Yes, it's the plain pole that Frank Costanza put up in his living room as a rebuke of Christmas' commercialism in a Seinfeld episode in 1997.
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Counting on the combo: Revolving door-maker adds flexibility with waterjet/plasma combination machineRevolving door manufacturer brings fabrication in-house, including a combination waterjet-plasma machine.
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Choosing the right coated abrasive for plate finishing applications: A look at grain propertiesMost plate fabricating companies need to select a coated abrasive to finish their parts. This selection process can be intimidating, as well as confusing, because so many types of coated abrasives are available.
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Anodizing aluminum: How one fabricator handles environmental requirements, safety issuesManufacturing deep-drawn aluminum containers requires various fabrication steps and provides many opportunities to pollute. Anomatic Corp. provides an overview of its fabricating and finishing steps and describes its efforts at environmentally responsible manufacturing.
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The basic elements of tubular hydroformingMany factors come into play when attempting to execute a production hydroforming operation, among them material selection, friction and lubricants, tube bending and preforming, and equipment. Many companies in the automotive sector are experiencing great success with the process, which can reduce weight, overall costs, and the number of parts per vehicle.
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Predicting failure in hydroforming prevent aluminum tubes: Strain variables require sophisticated analysisThis article discusses an approach to predicting failure in hydroforming prebent aluminum tubes. While strains are well researched for stamping sheet, this type of knowledge is lacking for hydroforming tubular components. Because the strains are different—prebent hydroformed tubular parts experience stress in the axial direction during bending, then in the circumferential direction during hydroforming—new methods for predicting failures are necessary. Researching these methods adds to the knowledge base of hydroforming, helping the technology gain further acceptance in manfacturing.
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Using hydroforming aluminum components versus steel stampings: The contender gains points, but the champion is still in the fightThis article examines two transitions that are occurring in the automotive industry—the change from stamping to hydroforming, and the substitution of aluminum where steel was used previously.
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Examining the effects of push assist on the formability of aluminum tubesIt is well-known that tube has become an important material for hydroforming hollow components. The increasing complexity of product structures, particularly in the automotive industry, often requires one or more forming operations before a tube actually is hydroformed. Prebending is one of these forming processes used to prepare tubes for the so-called prebent tube hydroforming.
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Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part IV |
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Hydroforming heats up: New techniques and equipment push industry forwardHydroforming was one of the fastest-growing metal forming technologies during the 1990s. Most of U.S. industry cooled down during and after the recession of 2001, but things have been heating up lately, and the world of hydroforming is no exception. The North American Hydroforming Conference and Exhibition (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Dayton, Ohio), which was sponsored by the Tube & Pipe Association, International® (TPA), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), showcased new techniques, equipment, and applications that are moving the industry forward.
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Warm forming magnesium, aluminum tubes: A high-temperature process for lightweight alloys |
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Steering toward aluminum Trends in the automotive industryAdvances in the use of aluminum for cars and trucks could pave the way for greater use of the metal in the future.
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Mixed Metals Reactions: Danger in the ductworkUnder controlled conditions, aluminum and steel powders can be mixed to create a chemical reaction to produce heat for welding. If you mix these materials under uncontrolled conditions, you will want to call the fire department.
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Stretching metal's forming limits with HSP lubricants: Forming aluminum, high-strength steel without tooling upgrade |
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Considering thermal processes for dissimilar metals: Joining steel to aluminum in heat-intensive applicationsKnowing how to weld dissimilar metals is becoming more and more important. One reason is that it's often impossible for one material to provide the optimum chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics needed for an application. For this reason, as well as cost efficiency, technology specialists are experimenting with different joining processes to weld bimetal joints optimally.
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Challenges and considerations in joining exotic materials: The welding itself is only half the storyEvery day Voss Aerospace faces challenges that vary as much as the materials its welders join and fabrication processes they use.
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Is this Round 2?: Aluminum fuels Ford-Ferrari rivalryForty years ago Ford and Ferrari were engaged in a fight-to-the-finish struggle to take top racing honors. Ford used its GT40 to snap Ferrari's six-time winning streak at the 24 Hours of LeMans, one of racing's most prestigious events. In 2003 the rivalry was back as Ford unveiled the high-performance GT, a niche car rich in aluminum and developed with the help of modern technologies such as superplastic forming (a.k.a. hot stamping) and friction stir welding.
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Protecting magnesium alloys from corrosion: The cold spray alternativeFinding cost-effective solutions for protecting magnesium alloys from corrosion has become paramount in automotive design. Corrosion protection through cold spray might be the answer.
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Choosing a gouging method: Advantages and disadvantages of plasma, air carbon-arc gougingPlasma gouging and air carbon-arc gouging have their advantages and disadvantages. The most distinct differences are in cost, fume production, and necessary postcutting operations.
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Selecting the right materials for roll forming—Part 2: How mechanical properties affect productionThis is the second part of a two-part article. Read Part I. If you examine the mechanical properties of several materials, including carbon steel, alloyed steel, stainless steel, as they relate to roll forming, you'll gain an understanding of the influence of some primary metal processes on roll forming.
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The right trace at the right time: Laser marking is the answer to Ford's traceability needs |
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Metals outlook mixed: Two different metals industries adapt to a challenging economySteel is looking at some uncertain times, to say the least, but aluminum industry professionals see a little more to smile about if general economic conditions improve.
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Feed to registration: A different way to process round, nested parts efficientlyFor applications such as clutch disks, oil seals, oil filters, and other round stampings, feed to registration with scroll-slit material can reduce scrap rates and, in some cases eliminate the need to retool the job.
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What's up with scrap (besides price)?: Efficient sorting, handling, can help mine precious metalToday's escalated metals prices have made scrap a hot issue. Multi source article covers new trends and old favorites in efficient scrap handling and in minimizing scrap
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Metal stamping and electromagnetic forming: New process improves material formability, reduces wrinklingThis article describes the development of electromagnetic forming (EMF) and how EMF works.
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Auto industry demands shape the future of stampingAs the stamping industry heads into a new century, it continues to be driven primarily by the automotive industry.
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Dangerous curves: Jaguar successfully mass-produces the industry’s first aluminum body structure |
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A closer look at self-piercing riveting: Computer simulation is a noteworthy alternative to physical testing of jointsSelf-piercing riviting, an alternative sheet joining method, is being used more to join aluminum sheets. The finite element method can be employed to study the SPR process and joints, perhaps even leading to the elimination of physical testing of these mechanical joints.
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Warm forming aluminum magnesium components: How it can optimize formability, reduce springbackWarm forming, or forming material heated in the 200- degree-C to500-degree-C range, offers dramatic improvement in formingproperties over room temperature forming for many aluminum ormagnesium alloys—without exotic heat sources or tooling.
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Deep drawing aluminum—not as hard as it looksKeeping a couple key tips in mind can help you turn aluminum stamping from a source of frustration to a source of income and satisfaction in a hurry.
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Design rules for forming aluminum stampings—Part 2: Addendum design methods for aluminum stampings |
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Design rules for forming aluminum stampings—Part 1This brief overview discusses rules for aluminum stamping involving: die clearance, die radius, punch radius, minimum bend radii, round cups, rectangular box parts, and overhang limit.
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Improving blank edge conditionsA blank, stamped in the first station of a progressive stamping operation, usually is subject to subsequent forming processes to form a designated part. If the blank is subject to straining, deformation, bending, stretching, or lateral expansion in later stations, its edge condition should be carefully examined.
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Die Basics 101: Part VIIAlthough many metals are used in stamping, all fall into one of two basic categories—ferrous and nonferrous. All metals have certain characteristics that must be considered when determining which stamping dies, production processes, and equipment to use. This article introduces the most basic metals and their properties.
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Stamping aluminum: It’s not as easy as you may thinkThe reality is that aluminum is not steel. It doesn't behave like steel, it doesn't flow like steel, and it certainly doesn't stretch like steel. So does this make aluminum hard to form? No, not if you think like aluminum.
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Finding, addressing the root cause of die galling failures: 6 Questions to answer in preventing premature gallingThere is no best tool steel type, coating, or way of keeping the punches from breaking. The best solution for each of these problems can be found by collecting specific data with respect to why each of the problems occurs
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Piercing, cutting aluminum sans slivers: Stopping sliver formationSlivers are the result of the aluminum interfacing with the cutting sections or punches. To reduce the production of slivers the severity of friction at the point where the two surfaces interface must be reduced. The general rule for cutting materials is the softer the metal the smaller the cutting clearance.
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Why is it Dieology, not Dieologism?: It's not art, it's scienceSuccessful dieworkers are very methodical and data-driven in the way they approach a problem. They carefully study each problem, determine its root cause, and take both short- and long-term corrective action.
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Stamping 101: Die basics: Introduction to stamping dieThis article introduces beginning toolmakers, die maintenance technicians, engineers, and press technicians to tool and die components and their functions
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Magnetic pulse welding for tubular applications: Discovering new technology for welding conductive materialsA review of how magnetic pulse welding works, in what applications it can be used, and what considerations users must take to perform it properly.
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Lubes and the new materials: It's a different game: Draw bending for tubing with special needsChanges taking place in tube and pipe producing and fabricating may require you to review your lubrication strategies. One of these changes is the increased use of aluminum, aluminized steel, and stainless steel tubing.
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Batter up! Turning an aluminum tube into a baseball batThe roar of the crowd, the shouts of the umpire, the crack of the bat hitting the ball—these are the unmistakable sounds of a baseball game. Over the last few decades, however, one of those sounds has changed; now the bat tends to make a ping that resonates when it hits the ball. It's the sound of aluminum rather than wood making contact with the ball.
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The wrinkle-wiper for tube bends: How to choose and use wiper diesA wiper die is a piece of tooling used in tube bending that helps keep the bend from wrinkling. While there are many reasons and ways to use a wiper die in a tube bending maching, you should also know what types are available, their differences, and how to choose the right one for your application.
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Taking tubular aluminum scaffolding to new heights: Taper, aesthetics, elevated design for monumental structureFor the company that broke the world record for building the tallest freestanding structure with a 320-foot scaffolding (the Statue of Liberty restoration project in 1984, see Sidebarat bottom of page)designing and constructing the scaffolding for the Washington Monument restoration project was just a natural next step.
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Structural tube on campus: Aluminum bridge spans science departmentsCentral Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., is known for its strong science programs. "Flying Bridge," a structure designed by artist and sculptor Ed Carpenter, physically and metaphorically spans the biology and chemistry departments in the university's new Dean Science Building. Carpenter, who designed the bridge with engineering consultation from Peterson Structural Engineers Inc., teamed up with Albina Pipe Bending Co. Inc. to tackle the project's material bending and fabrication requirements.
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Luminous aluminum makes light work: Meeting challenges unique to fabricating tubes into light postsHapco Aluminum Pole Products, Abingdon, Va., fabricates aluminum light posts that must be beautiful while standing up to wind, and the forces of nature.
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Aluminum pipe pioneer streamlines tube mill welding: Welding controls bring process under controlWhen Hastings Irrigation Pipe Co., a manufacturer of aluminum pipe, needed to replace its decades-old welding power supplies, it looked for units that could weld a variety of thicknesses at fast welding speeds. What it found were power supplies that allowed the company to run its mills faster and save money in several ways.
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Don't get stuck wondering about composites: If you have questions about joining composites and their relationship with metal, we have answersAutomakers and other manufacturers are interested in utilizing composites more in their manufacturing operations. Composites come with their own set of challenges, and one of the most important challenges is how to join the engineered material to a metal correctly using an adhesive. When joining materials, adhesives evenly distribute loads and reduce labor time.
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Aluminum stands tall as a structural metal—Part 1Editor's Note: This article is Part I of a two-part article covering the properties, characteristics, and applications of aluminum as a structural metal. Part II, which will appear in the December issue of The FABRICATOR®, explores the use of structural aluminum in the design of the U.S. Botanic Garden's conservatory in Washington, D.C. Topics such as tension, compression, bending, shear, and torsion are addressed.
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Preparing for aluminum GTAW: Proper equipment setup and workplace preparation reduce defectsThere are right ways and wrong ways to set up welding equipment to accommodate the aluminum GTAW process. Welders should know how to troubleshoot this commonly used process and be familiar with how to solve some common welding problems.
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Aluminum stands tall as a structural metal—Part 2Editor's Note: This article is Part II of a two-part article covering the properties, characteristics, and applications of aluminum as a structural metal. It explores the use of structural aluminum in the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory in Washington, D.C. Tension, compression, bending, shear, and torsion are addressed. Part Iappeared in the November 2002 issue of The FABRICATOR®.
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Choosing tungsten electrode type, size for aluminum GTAW |
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How to recognize, minimize weld smut |
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Welding aluminum with inverter-based power suppliesIt's easy to look at such a long-established technology as welding and believe that little or no technology development is taking place. In truth, however, the capabilities of welding power supplies are changing constantly and rapidly, especially in the area of inverter technology. These power supplies are suitable for welding aluminum alloys, including thin aluminum alloys.
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Inverter versus transformer power supplies for aluminum GTAW |
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Choosing a GMAW machine for occasional aluminum welding |
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Welding aluminum piping: Best practices, differences between aluminum and steel pipe weldingSteel and aluminum have distinctly different properties, and this is important if you're manufacturing aluminum piping systems. Learn the differences in welding steel and aluminum pipe and how they apply to the best practices you can use to weld aluminum pipe effectively.
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Innovation rides the waves: Aluminum Chambered Boats incorporates welding into patented designAs aluminum becomes more and more readily available for various manufacturing applications, the boat-building industry is taking notice. To build its patented vessel design, Aluminum Chambered Boats has found that arc welding - both GMAW and GTAW - is a critical technology.
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Aluminum Workshop: Selecting filler wire for 5454 Al plateI have a fabrication project involving 5454 aluminum plate, and I was told to weld this alloy using 5183 filler wire. Is this correct?
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To weld or not to weld Alclad |
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Minimizing weld cleaning stripesFrank Armao gives advice on how to minimize the appearance of cleaning stripes on polished aluminum tread plate.
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These aren't your grandparents' wheelchairs: Forget about transportation—these chairs are built for combatVesco Metal Craft, a manufacturer of rugby wheelchairs, makes specialized wheelchairs from 6061 seamless aluminum tubing. This violent, collision-oriented sport causes cracks in the welds' heat-affected zone, so the company sought better manufacturing methods. It added heat-treating to its process and switched to an inverter-based welding unit that gives the company's welders advanced waveform control.
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Age before welding in T6Frank Armao discusses why weld strength increases when incorporating an aging cycle prior to welding in the T6 temper.
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Welding aluminum: Learning about the alloysThe first step in learning about welding aluminum is learning about the various alloys themselves (cast and wrought)—the digits used in the aluminum designation system, the properties of the various alloys, and the considerations in matching a filler metal to a base material.
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Welding aluminum tailored blanks with Nd:YAG lasers for automotive applicationsThe increased average power at the workpiece delivered by a 4-kilowatt, continuous-wave Nd:YAG laser source can be used for tailored blank welding of aluminum alloys
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Laser-integrated robotics for assembly: How one job shop met an aluminum welding challengeIn recent years laser welding has advanced into many different industries, from automotive to electronics. With lasers, it is possible to weld at high speeds with great efficiency. Once unthinkable applications and processes are now being developed into working systems.
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Making the most of the daily grind: How to choose and use abrasives for welding and fabricating applicationsThe article divides grinding equipment into three application categories: welding/heavy metal removal; metal fabrication and construction; and light metal removal, finishing, and sharpening. It also discusses grits and grains and operator safety.
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The need to feed aluminum: 5 aluminum GMAW FAQsWhile using aluminum can present challenges in any welding application, knowing the right questions to ask beforehand will help aid success. Issues include knowing what aluminum filler metal to use, how to store it, and what options are available to help eliminate feeding problems.
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Preparing, testing bend samplesBend tests for aluminum are different than for steel. For instance, lack of fusion discontinuities in aluminum usually don't show up as well in radiographs. A bend test is a more discriminating way to test your aluminum weld.
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Fatigue FailuresFatigue causes the majority of mechanical element failures in structures and machinery. It is important to understand the causes of the failure and how to prevent or repair it.
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Hot spots for U.S. metal fabricated exportsIncreased global competition for customers on their home turf has driven U.S. metal fabricators to throw their nets wider to international markets. With this in mind, fabricators should look at the lists of the countries purchasing the most U.S. metal fabricated tools, machinery, products, and partially assembled goods as a road map to export opportunities.
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Fanning production rates: Fabricator quadruples fan production with cutting systemEditor's Note: This article is Part II of a four-part series covering flatness and stability in cut-to-length, slitting, and tension leveling operations. This article discusses flattening solutions and the anatomy of a bend. Part I, which appeared in the October issue of The FABRICATOR®, discussed how flat-rolled metal gets unflat; Part III in the December issue will address how coil processors can make metal flat so it stays that way; and Part IV in the January 2003 issue will discuss new applications and options in leveling equipment.
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