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Results: 48

Article

January 10, 2006
Cutting to the chase - Integrating secondary operations Many tube cutoff machines have evolved to integrate end forming and bending capabilities that normally are considered secondary operations. Considering the tube industry's need to reduce costs to stay competitive, the concept of integrating more operations may sound appealing. An inline system... Read more...

Article

June 8, 2004
Safeguarding machines with an ergonomic spin Figure 1 While the NSC publications provide generous guidance, two aspects they do not address fully are the application and implication of ergonomics and human factors in the design of machine safeguards. The National Safety Council (NSC) published the fifth edition of the Power... Read more...

Article

June 8, 2004
Dangerous curves Provocative lines and innovative materials are the hallmarks of luxury car manufacturer Jaguar Cars Ltd. Jaguar has reaped the benefits of aluminum since 1922, when the company, then known as the Swallow Sidecar Co., designed sidecars out of lightweight aluminum panels. Since then the... Read more...

Article

March 11, 2004
Low-tech system mechanizes pipe welding: Backing device allows GMAW on open root A backing system is positioned inside a pipe and copper rings contain the weld pool. A backing device is one such type of mechanized system. Backing devices facilitate pipe alignment, proper joint gap settings, and installation of purging equipment. Furthermore, the use of backing... Read more...

Article

February 12, 2004
Gaining from friction and formability data Figure 1 Business owners now are paying closer attention to forming lubricants. Why? Because new data has linked lubricants to an important driver of business profits—steel efficiency. With metal representing close to half of a company's total operating cost and manufacturing... Read more...

Article

December 11, 2003
Taking tubular aluminum scaffolding to new heights Photo courtesy of Fred R. Tannery Photography, Brooklyn, N.Y. Universal Builders Supply, a temporary-structures company with headquarters in Mount Vernon, N.Y., designs and constructs scaffolding, hoisting, and platforms—big ones. It was the company's proposal for a unique... Read more...

Article

November 20, 2003
Reflection—Getting the most from experience As a sharp leader, you look for ways to evaluate progress. You know how essential it is to benchmark activities that make you successful and eliminate those that do not. You understand that it's advantageous to evaluate where you have been and where you want to go. This evaluation... Read more...

Article

November 20, 2003
Handling appliance steel As appliance manufacturers strive to reduce costs and streamline production processes, additional pressure is placed on coil processing to produce high-quality, surface-sensitive materials. These materials include pre-painted steel products and decorative metals such as stainless steel,... Read more...

Article

November 6, 2003
Shedding light on negativity—Part 2 Read Part I . Negative thoughts, feelings, opinions, and comments are normal. Each of us thinks and expresses negative thoughts every day. Often the negatives illuminate problems that need to be addressed. When handled properly, they can lead to positive changes. But when negativity... Read more...

Article

October 9, 2003
Shedding light on negativity—Part 1 Read Part II . Are you a negaholic—someone who almost always sees the glass as half or totally empty? Do you live or work with one? If you answered, "No" to both of these questions, I'd like to know what planet you live on. These days—which are rife with economic... Read more...

Article

September 25, 2003
Choosing a GMAW machine for occasional aluminum welding I want to buy a small gas metal arc welding (GMAW) machine, preferably one that runs from 120-V input power. Most of my welding will be steel, but I would like to weld aluminum occasionally. Can these machines really weld aluminum? I've heard a lot of different opinions. Some companies claim... 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

July 24, 2003
Die width selection Most designers and engineers usually place very little importance on achieving the correct inside radius of a formed part. Why? Because the functionality of the part is unaffected if the specified inside radius is 0.062 in. and actual measured inside radius is 0.078 in. So why do we care about... Read more...

Article

July 24, 2003
Improving blank edge conditions Blanking—like piercing, parting, notching, and trimming—basically is a shearing process. Sheet metal that is sheared undergoes a predictable process and yields a predictable cross-sectional profile. Typically during shearing, as the punch initially engages the sheet metal, it... Read more...

Article

June 26, 2003
The little-known life of the scarfing tool Just kidding, but I'm sure you get my point. Scarfing tools are pretty boring compared to the greater issues we face since 9/11. I pray for world peace right there with anybody who will listen. But then again, I've been asked many times why tools don't last or why they break after only a short... Read more...

Article

June 12, 2003
Stretching metal's forming limits with HSP lubricants The trend in metal stamping is to use more and more aluminum and other lightweight materials, such as advanced high strength steel (AHSS). The need for technology to help improve metal flow of these materials in deep-drawing applications also is increasing. In many cases, a stamper's original... Read more...

Article

June 12, 2003
What's that material? An XRF system can be integrated at a detector station before final packaging. The tubes are held in place by a pneumatic clamp while the XRF detector is raised to make contact with the tube and perform the measurement. This process confirms the alloy grade of the material typically in two... Read more...

Article

June 12, 2003
Looking to the future   The decision to produce cut-to-length steel and blanks at the new plant arose from regional stampers' and other manufacturers' need for these products. Designing a Custom Facility Once committed to building a new plant in the Southeast, Thompson's management began planning the... 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
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 29, 2003
Spinning your wheels? Grinding wheels, rocks, stones—what's the difference? Grinding wheels used in welding and fabrication are strong, tough tools, but many in the industry have called them "rocks" or "stones," implying that they're unbreakable. This myth, or misconception, has led people to become... Read more...

Article

May 29, 2003
Making your own punch and dies Speaking from 30 years of experience, I'd say this situation probably is a fact of life for 99 percent of us. Whether we are doing some in-house engineering and design or working at the press brake, the thought is the same. An End to the Dilemma Sure enough, there is a reasonable solution... Read more...

Article

May 15, 2003
Mediating commercial conflict The Family Business This case involves two blood relatives, a brother and sister who had inherited a family business. Difficulties between successors to a family business are common. In fact, probate mediation among survivors and family business conflict resolution are increasingly... Read more...

Article

February 19, 2002
High-speed feeding techniques The maximum operating speed of a stamping operation should be limited, in theory, only by the maximum number of strokes per minute (SPM) that the press can achieve. In reality, production speed is limited by other factors as well. For instance: 1. The uncoiler may not unwind... Read more...

Article

December 13, 2001
Punching tips I used to listen to an eight-track tape of Buffalo Springfield while I ran a kick punch. If you've never seen a kick punch, it basically is a lever-operated C-frame press. You cause the punch tip to lower by pushing a pedal forward with your foot. I remember running a job on some 16-gauge... Read more...

Article

December 13, 2001
Radiographic and ultrasonic weld inspection Radiographic and ultrasonic weld inspection are the two most common nondestructive testing (NDT) methods used to detect discontinuities within the internal structure of welds. The obvious advantage of both of these testing methods is their ability to help establish the weld's internal integrity... Read more...

Article

December 13, 2001
Sawing structural and architectural tubing Figure 1 The circular saw is a commonly used option for cutting structural materials, including (top) solid H beams, and both round (middle) and rectangular (bottom) hollow materials. Architectural tubing is something of a mixed blessing: On the one hand, the material is... 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
Setting realistic goals for robotic welding projects Companies interested in purchasing robotic welding equipment often expect robots to solve all their productivity and quality problems. After installation, the actual results often do not meet the end user's high expectations. The natural conclusion is that the robot company dropped the ball;... Read more...

Article

October 25, 2001
Sell! Sell! Sell!: Developing a profitable exit strategy for you and your company It is no secret that the tube and pipe industry is highly fragmented and comprises hundreds of small companies. Several well-financed companies currently are mulling roll-ups, or consolidations, in the industry. Unless you are one of the big players who will be left standing after the game is... Read more...

Article

October 25, 2001
Design tips for sheet metal: Bend relief, small holes, hole distortion near bends, and minimum flange widths My experience, and therefore this article, is limited to sheet metal for applications such as power supplies, dispensing mechanisms, and electronic enclosures. I run a job shop. We need maximum tooling and machining versatility, so tooling dedicated to a specific product is used only when... Read more...

Article

October 11, 2001
Remote GTAW of spent fuel canisters: How this process reduces operator exposure to radiation Among many tasks that Nuclear Utilities perform is to ensure that radiation workers are exposed to the lowest possible amount of radiation. The industry has to follow strict exposure limits, and all nuclear energy workers must ensure the radiation exposure is as low as reasonably achievable... Read more...

Article

October 11, 2001
Staying safe during HF welding: A common sense approach to personnel protection In an era of corporate downsizing and intense competition, companies are under mounting pressure to keep operating costs to a minimum while improving productivity. Every program is being scrutinized to justify its continuation in this tough economic climate. However, companies should not... 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
Installing and maintaining coil cradles and reels All stamping and forming operations outside of the powder or forging industries begin with coiled steel. In many fabricators' plants, the decoiler, payoff reel, recoiler, tensioner, or other coil handling equipment require constant maintenance. Installation The nature of the... Read more...

Article

September 4, 2001
Changing the way they do business Dealing with work loads, delivery schedules, and many other responsibilities doesn't leave managers with much time to consider factors that justify equipment improvements. Often this means ideas for improvements get shelved. However, fabricators who want to improve production and... 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

August 16, 2001
Do your tubes seam good enough? Using eddy current testing to make sure To use this method, a manufacturer must have, as a minimum, eddy current test electronics, test coils and cabling, and some form of output device such as a strip chart recorder, paint marker, or alarm. More advanced systems include material handling and provide sophisticated flaw evaluation,... Read more...

Article

August 16, 2001
GMAW vs. FCAW for beginners: Choose the best process for your small operation When you prepare to buy your first wire-feed welding machine, you don't want to waste your money on a toy that goes out with the trash in a few weeks. You probably want to use 115-V input for portability, but might want to step up to a 230-V-input machine to weld thicker material. After... Read more...

Article

July 26, 2001
Magnetic pulse welding for tubular applications: Discovering new technology for welding conductive materials Object Engineers are discovering a variety of applications for a new solid-state welding process known as magnetic pulse welding (MPW). MPW has been theorized and tested for decades, but it is only recently that manufacturers have been exposed to the possibilities of running an MPW system on... Read more...

Article

July 26, 2001
What to know before selecting a manual plasma cutter: Understanding size, power, components, cost The first plasma arc cutting (PAC) systems, developed in the '60s, were 1,000-amp monsters designed to blast through 6-inch stainless steel. Their mechanized torches were moved by X-Y cutting machines and powered by DC units the size of refrigerators. Surprisingly, the PAC industry... Read more...

Article

June 13, 2001
Rising expectations spark new approach to draw die development: Reconciling demands for increased quality at lower costs During the past five years, the process of draw die development has undergone significant changes as a result of technological improvements and the demand for higher-quality products. Figure 1: The eight steps in the advanced draw development process are designed to identify and address... Read more...

Article

February 19, 2001
How to avoid the top 10 problems in plasma cutting: Practical tips you can use right now The old adage "measure twice, cut once" is as important for plasma arc cutting operators as it is for carpenters. The phrase could be reworded to "inspect twice, cut once" for the plasma industry. Careful preparation, setup, and maintenance can alleviate many costly problems which... Read more...

Article

February 19, 2001
Die design for flat parts: Achieving perfection in a difficult task Flatness is one of the most difficult part characteristics to achieve in a conventional stamping die. Some of the factors controlling part flatness are: 1. The severity of the steel cutting deformation. 2. The mechanical properties of the sheet material. 3. The incoming flatness of the... Read more...

Article

February 19, 2001
Maintaining and troubleshooting HF welders: A common-sense approach for vacuum tube and solid-state machines Since the 1960s, the workhorse of the tube and pipe industry has been the high frequency (HF) vacuum tube welder. Recently, an increasing number of producers have been installing the HF solid-state welder, in part because of its efficiency, compact design, and high power factor. Many vacuum... Read more...

Article

February 19, 2001
Band saw cutting of tube and pipe: Tips for blade selection and machine settings Production quantities of cut tube and pipe can be produced economically with a band saw. Band saws use a thinner blade than do cold saws, so they minimize kerf loss, and their design is conducive to nesting or stacking stock for simultaneous sawing of many pieces. With a band... Read more...

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