Article
August 8, 2006
A breath of fresh air
Ten years ago laser cutting offered a distinctive advantage to those who invested in the technology. For the most part, successful laser cutting required gas, optics, and patience. The decade has brought many changes to laser cutting, including higher power levels and faster drive... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2004
Flying high with orbital welding
The first machines developed were large, upright, stationary systems that could be used only for workshop applications. These systems also had to make several rotations to complete a joint because only single-level power supplies were available. To make consistent welds, they had to make... Read more...
Article
February 26, 2004
Three optional techniques for beveling
All of these methods generate no dust or fumes and produce paintable edges without distortion or a heat-affected zone (HAZ). Finished edges have consistent angles along the bevel's entire length. Punch and Nibble Method Punch and nibble-style bevelers are portable power tools... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2004
Laser cell system gives job shop the home field advantage
Photo courtesy of Lund Industries Inc., Wheeling, Ill. No stranger to the economic fluctuations in the industry, the 50-employee company has weathered the heavy volume demands in the economic boom of the late '90s as well as the current intense global tournament that has forced U.S.... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2004
Selecting a stamping die pressure system, Part II
Selecting a stamping die's pressure system can be a critical decision. Many questions must be answered to determine what type of pressure system best suits your application. This article is Part II of a two-part series that focuses on the different systems available, as well as the advantages... Read more...
Article
January 29, 2004
Article
January 29, 2004
Respirator selection as a business decision
Several factors can help employers select a respirator that meets the required level of protection while having a positive business impact. Using this approach, employers can make choosing a respirator a business decision that can increase productivity, decrease injuries, and decrease... Read more...
Article
January 29, 2004
Choosing the right robotic weld cell for your operation
If a company does much hand welding, it may have loose tolerances on the prints. However, a robot cannot work with these kinds of tolerances. A robot can maintain a good weld only if the parts are held to a tolerance of ± half the weld wire diameter. If this is not determined at... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2003
Selecting a stamping die pressure system, Part I
Selecting the stamping die's pressure system can be a critical decision. Many questions must be answered to determine what type of pressure system best suits your application. Controlling Factors 1. Pressure requirements Simple conventional metal cutting dies, such as those used in blanking... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2003
Filling in the blanks
Because of sluggish economies and uncertain markets, the need to hone a competitive edge is more sharply defined. Many stampers are doing this by taking control of their material inventory and production schedules by adding a cut-to-length blank shearing line. An in-house blank... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2003
Choosing the right oxyfuel gas and supply system
Photo courtesy of Weldstar Inc. Cutting In oxyfuel cutting, an oxygen jet, not the preheat flame, performs the cutting. The oxygen jet oxidizes the material and expels the heated material from the kerf. The purpose of the preheat flame is to heat the material to the ignition... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Programming multiple robots
Figure 1
Two robots can weld on the left side of a large vehicle frame, while two other robots weld on the right side, with all robot motion synchronized by a multiple-robot control.
Multiple Robots, Single Process
Multiple-robot control can increase productivity... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Pinpointing future laser welding markets
While some laser welding equipment manufacturers are thriving right now, others still fight a battle as old as the technology itself—gaining acceptance for equipment that carries a hefty initial price tag (albeit one that can save money over time). Consequently laser welding... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Using a gel-type tube lube
As one manufacturer of automotive exhaust assemblies recently discovered, selecting the most appropriate lubricant for a tube bending operation can have a dramatic impact on part quality, workplace cleanliness, and economic efficiency. Although the liquid lubricant it was using was reliable and... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Plotting for success
Another way of looking at this is that we get so tied up in the day-to-day grind that we forget or ignore the deteriorating conditions in the forming mill and tooling until a customer complains about weld splits. We lose our edge, figuratively and literally, and it shows up in nonparallel edges... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Blast Cleaning Equipment: What you need to know before buying
Many options are available that can achieve the necessary prefinish requirements of any part. Of those options, blast cleaning can be an efficient and economical choice. Blast cleaning requires no chemicals and does not remove any surface metal in its process. Some facts however, should be... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
Using finite element analysis to roll-form tubes
Figure 1 Roll forming causes yield stress, flow stress, and hardness variations in material properties around a tube's circumference. These variations may lead to premature bursting or excessive thinning in hydroformed parts. This makes it necessary to determine the effect roll forming... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
Selecting the best lens for welders' eye protection
The Dangers of Ultraviolet and Infrared Light Radiant energy exposure, also called optical radiation, occurs with work applications that involve intense concentrations of ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), and intense visible light. Arc welding and cutting, as well as laser welding,... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
Making steels stronger
As we get into modifying a steel's strength and hardness, keep a couple things in mind. First, don't confuse hardness with hardenability. A steel's maximum hardness is a function of its carbon content: more carbon, more hardness. Hardenability, on the other hand, refers to the amount of... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
Eliminating final trim shearing of hydroformed tube
An alternative to trimming a tube to establish tube length is to form the tube in the preform operation to a geometry that is close to the final product and to seal it during hydroforming with caps that match its formed shape. Generally, a round tube is bent on a rotary draw bender... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Article
September 25, 2003
The wrinkle-wiper for tube bends
Figure 1 Here's a quick quiz for you to take: What "wipes" the wrinkles from the bend in a tube and is one of the five pieces of tooling in a die set? If you guessed wiper die, you're right. A piece of tooling used to keep the inside bend of a tube from wrinkling, a wiper die... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Getting a handle on work-related hand injuries
Of the 3.6 million work-related injuries treated annually in emergency rooms across the U.S., hands and fingers are the most commonly treated body parts, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 90 percent of all acute injuries in the workplace are... Read more...
Article
August 14, 2003
Selecting the right abrasives for your operation
The Nitty Gritty For each weld configuration and material there is an abrasive wheel that ensures optimal grinding results. The first step in determining the right wheel for the job is to identify the material being welded. Most abrasives manufacturers offer wheels made of three... Read more...
Article
August 14, 2003
Virtual tryout
In this era of global warp speed and virtual reality, calculating the deep draws of progressive dies or the springback of metal is performed by simulation software instead of the earlier trial-and-error method. These software programs essentially replace the artistic methods of diemaking... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Taking the heat, keeping the current
A DaimlerChrysler powertrain control module cover/heat sink assembly needed to be thermally conductive yet electrically isolated. The populated circuit board—one with all components in place—had to be bonded to the heat sink and postcured in a vacuum laminating press. The... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Maximizing a coil fed press
Modern Coil-fed Presses Stamping processes revolve around two basic styles of tooling, transfer and progressive dies. They both require feed-to-length systems but differ in many key areas. Blanking processes could be added but are progressive in nature. Transfer tooling requires material to be... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Which wire do you require?
Many fabricators overlook the efficiencies they can gain by changing a wire or process. In fact, when you ask fabricators why they're using a particular electrode, some respond with "That's the way it's always been done here," even though another way might yield significant improvement.... Read more...
Article
June 26, 2003
Tooling tricks of the trade
Just make it work!" they scream. "I don't care how Just make it work!" As a tooling professional (whether you are a tool- and diemaker, engineer, press operator, or any other member of the team responsible for operating and maintaining that die), you quickly find that "making it work" is... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Robots and dials and knobs—oh my!
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. You be the judge. In the late 1950s, the U.S. Navy wanted to find a way to join heavy aluminum structural sections used to fabricate motor torpedo boat hulls. Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) offered suitable process... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Article
May 29, 2003
Getting it Straight
Before coiled material can pass through a die to produce an acceptable part, it must be straightened. Coil straightening is accomplished by bending a strip of material around sets of rollers that alternately stretch and compress the upper and lower surfaces so that the material's yield... Read more...
Article
May 15, 2003
Finding the best splice for your light-duty conveyor
In most light-duty conveyor systems, one of the key factors in obtaining conveyor uptime is achieving the optimal splice. Reviewing the available alternatives in light of the realities of your conveyor system will suggest which type might serve your needs best. Belting designed for... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Lifting the load
Using electric lift trucks in the confines of a manufacturing facility eliminates the byproducts of combustion, resulting in better indoor air and noise quality. A range of electric lift trucks is available for manufacturing environments, including sideloaders, multidirectional trucks,... Read more...
Article
November 17, 2002
Secrets of Using GTAW for Tools and Dies
Tool and die welding can be a very lucrative service for a fab shop to offer. However, tool and die welders are a rare breed because of lack of knowledge about the process and the extra expense for a shop. Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) frequently is used for tool and die welding applications... Read more...
Article
July 26, 2002
Repair Brazing: Fixing Faulty Jobs and worn-out components
Brazing is a versatile process used in many industries to join materials permanently. Repair brazing is an essential part of the industry and usually is done for one of two reasons—to braze repair parts in-house before they are released to customers and to perform repairs on brazed... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2001
Keeping pace with today's punching requirements
Figure 1 The punch, die, and stripper's function still is to punch holes that are a specific size and shape into sheet metal in a specific location. The quest for accurately punched holes, top-quality piece parts, and long tool life can be a positive experience when you consider your... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2001
Pairing a servo feed with a pull-through straightener
Servo feeds have been in use for many years now. People have become comfortable with this technology and it is becoming commonplace. What is not commonplace is the knowledge that servo feeds can be used with pull-through straighteners as opposed to a conventional feed line that uses a... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2001
Hydraulic workholding from scratch
Hydraulic clamps can be used in place of manual or toggle clamps to hold a workpiece or tool in place during stamping. The foundation for effective hydraulic workholding is built on component selection and system connection. Whether the system is simple or complex, the job at hand basic... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2001
When sparks fly ...
While an arc welding unit was being used on the second floor in a Kaukauna, Wisconsin, warehouse, sparks dropped through an opening to cardboard boxes below, igniting the boxes. There was no fire watch on the first floor, and when the fire was discovered 15 minutes later, employees could... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2001
Cutting through the obstacles
Of all the materials that can be cut on industrial band saw machines, structural steels—such as pipe and tubing, plate, angle and channel iron, and I beams—are among the most common and challenging. The challenges often arise when a blade encounters changes in the cross... Read more...
Article
November 29, 2001
Using existing tooling for new product applications
Figure 1: This design is typical for the last fin pass for low-carbon steel using high-frequency welding. "In turbulent times, one must be innovative or be rendered defenseless." Peter Drucker said these words when addressing the Steel Service Center Institute several years ago, and... Read more...
Article
November 29, 2001
Making the most of the daily grind
The design and production of abrasives have kept pace with other advances in the welding industry, making grinding and finishing products more effective than ever in helping fabricators to lower costs and improve productivity. Grinding equipment and accessories for this industry are available... Read more...
Article
November 15, 2001
Article
November 15, 2001
Article
November 15, 2001
Using hydroforming aluminum components versus steel stampings
As the name implies, hydroforming is a metal forming process that uses water as a forming medium. In the case of tube hydroforming, a tubular workpiece is placed between two mating die halves. The tube is sealed, normally by metal mandrels inserted under pressure in each end of the tube. Water... Read more...
Article
October 25, 2001
Achieving straight-side capabilities in a gap-frame press
Gap, or C-frame, mechanical stamping presses have undergone relatively few fundamental design changes since they were first introduced in the mid-1800s. The basic principle behind their operation, simply stated, is this: Inertial energy stored in a rotating flywheel is converted to a... Read more...
Article
October 25, 2001
To e, or not to e?
To e, or not to e? And the answer is complex. Electronic commerce was heavily hyped in the past half decade. The auto industry, it was proclaimed, was headed for a transformation. Everything from procurement to vehicle and component design was going online. OEMs were aglow at the prospect of... Read more...
Article
October 25, 2001
Article
October 25, 2001
Article
October 25, 2001
Comparing single-cut and dimple-free tube mill cutoffs
This article covers the application of single-cut and dimple-free cutoff shear technologies as they are applied to contemporary high-speed tube mills. A single-cut die set is a unit composed of an upper shoe and a lower shoe in which a single severing blade and tube supporting jaws are... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2001
Interaction of chemicals used in forming and fabricating
Lubricants, coolants, corrosion inhibitors, cleaners, coatings, fluxes, and other chemicals all are used-and thus intermixed-in metal manufacturing, forming, fabrication, welding, and finishing. As a result, as manufacturers become more conscious of quality, safety, productivity, and disposal... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2001
Article
September 17, 2001
Welding exhaust system components
In the field of automobile exhaust systems, such components as manifolds, pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are joined either by the car manufacturer or by a subcontractor to form a subassembly ready for attachment. Today, large numbers of these components are welded with a laser.... Read more...
Article
September 4, 2001
Exploring complementary cutting methods
Diversification is the linchpin of running a successful business. The key to producing quality work and investing in equipment wisely is knowing which cutting method—laser, plasma, electrical discharge machining, waterjet, or another—to use for a particular application. While... Read more...
Article
September 4, 2001
Standardizing finger tooling
Figure 1: Tooling is mounted to transfer rails by receivers, which provide mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic connections. Improvements in transfer press automation and the availability of used large-bed presses for retrofitting have accelerated the use of transfer presses with... Read more...
Article
August 16, 2001
Sharpening for a longer life
Taking a little extra time when performing routine maintenance on your stamping tools can produce big dividends in tool life and reliability. Production stamping tools typically use hardened tool steel insert components, such as punches, matrixes, and die steels, to perform cutting,... Read more...
Article
July 26, 2001
Article
July 12, 2001
Article
July 12, 2001
Examining the GTAW environment
Possibly the greatest development of the last decade was increased awareness of environmental and health concerns, which in the welding industry has prompted improvements in air quality, ergonomic workstations, and decreased exposure to materials deemed harmful to health. It is important... Read more...
Article
July 12, 2001
Turning up the power
Industry trends indicate that metal fabricators increasingly are selecting higher-power lasers for cutting applications. Two years ago, the most common power levels ranged between 1,500 and 2,000 watts. However, a statistical survey conducted by the AMT Laser System Product Group indicates a... Read more...
Article
June 15, 2001
Article
May 30, 2001
Protecting dies against press system faults
Mechanical switches and grounding switches were among the first devices to be used for automated die protection. Early sensing systems based on mechanical switches simply opened the top stop circuit of a press when a fault was detected. These systems, however, offered no protection from faulty... Read more...
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May 15, 2001
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April 24, 2001
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April 24, 2001
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March 13, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
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February 19, 2001
Auto industry demands shape the future of stamping
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of the Engineering Research Center for Net Shape Manufacturing (ERC/ NSM), The Ohio State University, Professor Taylan Altan, Director. As we face the 21st century, the stamping business continues to be driven primarily by the automotive... Read more...
Article
February 15, 2001
Managing innovation in the factory
The common view that new things start in a research and development lab is not always true. Some useful innovations come right off the factory floor. Even more result from an effort to solve a customer's problem. Twenty years ago, Eric von Hippel, a professor at Harvard Business School, found... Read more...
