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Articles tagged with "line"

Results: 45

	Tier 1 supplier builds four-stage competitive strategy By: Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe JournalŽ F & P Manufacturing Inc., a tier-one automotive components supplier, focused on four areas when it developed a hydroforming line for manufacturing Honda Accord engine cradles. These areas were eliminating end scrap, decoupling the bending machines from the manufacturing line, reducing cycle time, and palletizing parts. Publish date: July 24, 2003 Tech cell: Hydroforming
	Making the most of hydroforming: Pursuing product potential and possibilities By: Klaus Heimerl and Ulrich Lücke, Contributing Writers Hydroforming has become a competitive metal forming method and has succeeded in many applications because of its weight- and cost-saving attributes, elimination of joining operations, and ability to offer part design for confined spaces. Publish date: September 25, 2003 Tech cell: Hydroforming
	Handling appliance steel: Tips for processing surface-sensitive materials By: Jim Russell, Contributing Writer Savvy stampers are purchasing new equipment or modifying and retrofitting existing equipment to include prefinished materials features. By paying close attention to equipment, tension practices, material processing methods, and material handling, stampers can participate in the market for surface-sensitive materials. Publish date: November 20, 2003 Tech cell: Materials Handling
	What's that material?: Using XRF technology to identify alloys By: Julie Villescas, Contributing Writer Many alloys—stainless steels, HASTELLOY®, INCONEL®, INCOLOY®, MONEL®, duplex and superduplex alloys—are similar in appearance and easily mixed up after mill test reports (MTRs) and heat stamps are removed in material processing. These mix-ups can have serious consequences to the end user, including product rework, factory downtime, or premature product failure. A single mistake may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in materials and labor to correct. In addition, any loss of consumer confidence resulting from shipping incorrect material carries incalculable costs. Publish date: June 12, 2003 Tech cell: Metals/Materials
	Applying the theory of constraints in a structural steel plant: How keeping busy can be a BAD idea By: Douglas Cochrane, Contributing Writer Merely staying busy is not a determinant of success. Publish date: March 5, 2001 Tech cell: For CEOs
	Put your money where your mouse is: How to succeed in e-business By: Bob Jackson, Contributing Writer To decrease your chance of failure in e-business, focus on the business issues first and the technology issues second. Publish date: February 19, 2001 Tech cell: For CEOs
	Inline Process auditing: Moving beyond random sampling By: Bruce Johnson, Contributing Writer Imagine this: The line is running smoothly, delivery is tight but on schedule, it is 10 minutes to shift change, and suddenly Art the quality control inspector runs by the office window shouting, "We've got bad parts coming out!" You shut the line down, your production supervisor comes running, Art is grabbing as many parts as he can to start checking, and the operator is thinking, "I should run now and let the second shift deal with it." Publish date: June 12, 2003 Tech cell: For Engineers
	Superior Service—Why you need it By: Vicki Bell, Web Content Manager Service can make or break a business. Of the top nine reasons consumers give for buying a specific product, eight pertain to the abilities of the customer service system, for example, responsiveness, technical skill, and professional attitude.¹ Publish date: April 10, 2003 Tech cell: Shop Strategies
	Using technology to implement lean manufacturing By: John Leibert, Contributing Writer Lean manufacturing is more than a buzzword. It is key to improving a company's floor performance, customer responsiveness, and, ultimately, its bottom line. Yet few manufacturers truly understand what it takes to implement the concept. Publish date: June 12, 2003 Tech cell: Shop Strategies
	Looking to the future: Steel supplier designs facility based on regional current, future needs A growing manufacturing base in the Southeast spurred Thompson Steel in the mid-1990s to research what type of equipment to purchase for its new facility in Fountain Inn, S.C. The steel supplier had been shipping coils of slit steel from its plants in Baltimore; Franklin Park, Ill.; and Rome, Ga., almost daily to several customers in the area. Publish date: June 12, 2003 Tech cell: Shop Strategies
	Protecting surface-sensitive materials in coil processing: Array By: Array Array Publish date: Array Tech cell: Coil Processing
	Flatness in coil processing operations: New turns in the leveling process By: Eric Theis, Contributing Writer Most flat-rolled coil processing operations use some sort of roller leveling technology. Operations people understand what these machines can do to improve the quality of the product they produce. In the competitive marketplace, customers demand and get more that just flat sheets or slit coils. Publish date: August 16, 2001 Tech cell: Coil Processing
	Pairing a servo feed with a pull-through straightener: Applications for noncosmetic stamped parts By: Todd Wenzel, Contributing Writer This article explores the possibility that servo feeds can be used with pull-through straighteners as opposed to a conventional feed line that uses a powered straightener. Using the servo-PTS (pull-through straightener) can save money on equipment and material. The only limitation may be marking the material so noncosmetic applications are recommended. Publish date: December 13, 2001 Tech cell: Coil Processing
	Examining slit coil handling and packaging: Choosing a system for increased productivity By: Ray Kuch, Contributing Writer 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. Publish date: May 15, 2003 Tech cell: Coil Processing
	Getting it Straight: Understanding coil straightening in stamping operations By: Bruce Grant, Contributing Writer 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 point is exceeded. Publish date: May 29, 2003 Tech cell: Coil Processing
	New Features in Coil-to-Coil Slitters: Adapting to the changing coil industry with technology By: Chuck Damore, Contributing Writer Years ago it was customary for coil processors to have dedicated slitting lines for specific materials and gauges. Today's larger, stronger, and thinner-gauge coils, however, require service centers to be able to process many materials and gauges on the same machine. Publish date: March 11, 2004 Tech cell: Coil Processing
	Protecting surface-sensitive materials in coil processing - Three potential danger areas By: Jim Russell, Contributing Writer As manufacturers worldwide strive to reduce costs and streamline their production processes, the market for surface-sensitive materials continues to expand. Surface-sensitive materials include all prepainted steel products and nonferrous decorative materials, such as copper, brass, and stainless steel. Publish date: August 28, 2003 Tech cell: Coil Processing
	Maximizing a coil fed press: Variables that influence production speed, setup By: Ted Sberna, Contributing Writer Coil-fed stamping presses are nothing new, but coil feeding processes have changed a lot since the days when press feeders were driven mechanically by crank motion. Influencing these processes are differences between transfer and progressive tooling. Publish date: July 24, 2003 Tech cell: Press Feeding
	Appliance industry takes a shine to powder blank technology By: Wade L. Ficklin, Contributing Writer Among European, Pacific Rim, and U.S. appliance makers and other manufacturers with large-scale, appliance-grade finishing requirements, the use of powder blank line coating systems has grown steadily during the past 10 years. Publish date: May 15, 2001 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Truckin' along through a stamping plant: Redesigned truck cab leads to new plant, processes By: Tom Juric, Contributing Writer International Truck and Engine Corporation's Springfield, Ohio, plant recently undertook the challenge of building a high-performance truck with the dimensional tolerances that meet today's quality standards within a cost structure that would allow it to remain competitive. This new product launch was the first of its kind for the company in more than 20 years. Publish date: April 24, 2003 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Taking the heat, keeping the current: Heat sinks provide thermal conductivity, electrical isolation By: Ken Wesseln, Contributing Writer Publish date: July 24, 2003 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Virtual tryout: Simulation software simplifies progressive die troubleshooting By: Terry Swan, Contributing Writer Publish date: August 14, 2003 Tech cell: Press Technology
	What's driving your press? By: Errol Neider, Contributing Writer Mechanical presses are challenged to provide high-speed production with a greater number of hits per minute, smaller batch runs, and quicker die changes. Publish date: August 14, 2003 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Predicting springback in air bending, straight flanging By: Taylan Altan, Contributing Writer All businesses tied to the metal forming industry are scrambling to find areas in which they can lower costs without sacrificing quality. Adding to this burden are a tight cash flow and a lack of financial resources to invest in process improvement equipment. Therefore, the savings must come from doing more with less. Publish date: October 9, 2003 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Filling in the blanks: What to look for in an in-house blank shearing line By: Gary Johnson, Contributing Writer Publish date: December 11, 2003 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Advanced lubricant technology for high-strength steel By: Brad Jeffery, Contributing Writer Publish date: June 8, 2004 Tech cell: Press Technology
	Gettin' down with downtime: Reducing unprofitable die changeover time By: Patrice A. Kelly, Contributing Writer Reducing the time it takes to change dies it important to all stampers, especially for custom stampers that run small-quantity jobs. This article summarizes the ways in which automation has helped in this process and then covers two die change methods that are used in a quick change system: the standardized clamping system and the V-notch, or key, system. Publish date: November 29, 2001 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Rising expectations spark new approach to draw die development: Reconciling demands for increased quality at lower costs By: Greg Faucher, Contributing Writer A recently formulated approach to draw die development incorporates simultaneous engineering to identify and address potential problems before dies are built. Publish date: June 13, 2001 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Establishing a die setup recipe for progressive dies By: Art Hedrick, Contributing Writer Setting up a stamping die is one of the most critical steps in a successful stamping process. It's a fact: More damage is done to a die, especially a progressive die, in the first 10 hits than in the next 10,000 hits. Most die damage happens during initial setup, when the material is being fed into the die. Mistakes such as misfeeds, pilot piercing, double metal, sheared cutting sections, and stock hang-ups often occur. Publish date: April 10, 2003 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Applying and handling die lubricants: How to control lubricants for better housekeeping By: Stan Reinke, Contributing Writer The two main reasons for applying die lubricant are to reduce friction and dissipate heat. Heat can build up between the tool surface and metal, causing the lubricant to break down. This results in metal-to-metal contact and galling. Publish date: April 24, 2003 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Die geometry for embossing and stretching By: Art Hedrick, Contributing Writer Stretching or embossing, not to be confused with drawing, is the process in which the part's geometry is obtained by stretching the metal into a forming cavity. Publish date: August 28, 2003 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Investing in lubricants: Increasing your profits 7 percent by changing metals By: Brad Jeffery, Contributing Writer All businesses tied to the metal forming industry are scrambling to find areas in which they can lower costs without sacrificing quality. Adding to this burden are a tight cash flow and a lack of financial resources to invest in process improvement equipment. Therefore, the savings must come from doing more with less. Publish date: October 9, 2003 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Controlling bend angles By: Art Hedrick, Contributing Writer Bend angles are among the most frustrating geometric features to control in metal stamping. This is due primarily to two factors – the inconsistency of the mechanical properties in the metal being bent and the die design. Publish date: October 9, 2003 Tech cell: Tool and Die
	Automating your end forming operation: How to maximize efficiency in the shop By: Dale Miller, Contributing Writer Efficiency, productivity, and quality are focal points for end forming operations, and many manufacturers are looking to automation to improve those dimensions of their businesses. Publish date: February 19, 2001 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Fabrication
	The little-known life of the scarfing tool: Focusing on a small device to see the bigger picture By: W.B. "Bud" Graham, Contributing Writer Who cares about scarfing tools? There are more important things in life. When the beauty pageant contestant is asked what problem she would like to solve, she's more likely to answer "I'd like to establish world peace" than "I wish I could find ways to help scarfing tools last longer." Publish date: June 26, 2003 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Fabrication
	Achieving faster, more efficient tube mill changeovers By: Robert Sladky, Contributing Writer Tube mill changeovers involve more than just tooling. Several variables Publish date: July 26, 2001 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Production
	Exploring the welded tube making process: The basics for fabricators By: Henry Niedzwecki, Contributing Writer This article is aimed not at tube producers, but at fabricators of tubing, to provide an overview of the process. Publish date: May 30, 2001 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Production
	Solving Problems on the Tube Mill By: Robert Sladky, Contributing Writer Tube mill operators face a variety of challenges everyday in their efforts to produce high-quality tubing in a cost effective and productive way. Publish date: August 16, 2001 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Production
	Do your tubes seam good enough? Using eddy current testing to make sure By: Tim Brown, Contributing Writer Eddy current testing offers several features that makers of welded tube may find to their liking—in particular, high throughput speeds and sensitive flaw detection. Publish date: August 16, 2001 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Production
	Inline gauge control in welded tube production: Reducing conversion losses By: W.B. "Bud" Graham, Contributing Writer Reducing scrap when converting strip to finished tube is a huge step in bettering your bottom line. Publish date: July 26, 2001 Tech cell: Tube and Pipe Production
	Using inverter technology: FAQs about inverter-based plasma cutters By: Brian Schmidt, Contributing Writer Businesses feel a constant pressure to gain an advantage and control their processes better. However, the decision to embrace new technology often leaves them feeling vulnerable. In the realm of hand-held metal cutting operations, one such decision is choosing between traditional technology and an inverter-based plasma cutting system. Publish date: July 24, 2003 Tech cell: Arc Welding
	Gas-shielded cored wires find their niche: Suitable applications for flux-cored and metal-cored electrodes By: Dwight Myers, Contributing Writer Gas-shielded flux-cored and metal-cored wires are growing in popularity because the wires are fabricated and can be applied to many applications. Publish date: June 15, 2001 Tech cell: Consumables
	Examining electric resistance weld nuggets in tube and pipe: Using the microscope to study weld characteristics By: Lew Warren, Contributing Writer An in-depth examination of electric resistance welding nuggets as a quality control step in the manufacturing of high-strength tube and pipe used for pressure applications Publish date: April 24, 2001 Tech cell: Resistance Welding
	Adaptive bending: Achieving accurate first-piece bending results By: Wim Serruys, Contributing Writer Adaptive bending allows press brake operators to measure a bend angle during the forming process and feed the information to the numerical control. The article discusses springback and how to determine it and the fact that when air bending, 90 percent of problems result during initial setup, and only 10 percent result from springback. It also discusses using an angle control system, methods of measuring angles, and requirements for angle measurement systems. Publish date: November 15, 2001 Tech cell: Bending
	Cutting through five myths about modern lasers: The truth behind laser cutting technology By: Dan Robinson, Contributing Writer Whether you're operating a 10-year-old laser machine or evaluating the purchase of a new one, staying up-to-date on current laser cutting technology and techniques can be the key to maintaining a competitive edge. Publish date: February 12, 2004 Tech cell: Laser Cutting