Article
March 23, 2010
How to get from ABC to ERP
If all of the letters and acronyms associated with software systems have you confused, don't worry, you are not alone. More readers than would like to admit are wondering what the heck (WTH) all these letters mean and which combination of them will help them run their manufacturing... Read more...
Article
March 1, 2010
Supply chain collaborates on bending project
Figure 1
The complexity of the finished product stems, in part, from making bends on both the H plane (hard way) and E plane (easy way).
Fabrication projects don't just happen on their own; they require planning, which often involves an OEM, a fabricator, a tooling provider, and a... Read more...
Article
February 10, 2009
Article
January 13, 2009
We're all in this together: Fighting negativity
Man oh man, is negativity rampant today. Turn on the news, and you're hammered with it, mainly because bad news sells better than good news, and with 24 hours of our time to fill, the more bad the better. But with the current economic crisis, the bad is being hammered into my head by the... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Strategic sourcing for stampers
Material is the single largest cost component for stamping companies—about 50 percent to 60 percent of annual sales. This amount may vary depending on the extent and composition of secondary operations. Direct labor represents only about 6 percent to 8 percent of sales, but it gets the... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Connecting with employees
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments. We've all heard the expression "communication is a two-way street." The best way to connect with employees is to... Read more...
Article
May 8, 2007
A little innovation goes a long way
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments.
"Money is the great inhibitor of innovation," John Heaton, president of Pay Plus Benefits of Kennewick, Wash.,... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
Abuse of power in the workplace
What happened to the grade school bully? According to a nationwide poll conducted by the Employment Law Alliance (ELA) , he or she may have grown up to become an office oppressor. Nearly 45 percent of poll respondents reported that they have worked for an abusive boss. What constitutes an... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
The costs of inefficiency
Discovering inefficiencies upfront in a robotic welding workcell such as this can prevent hidden costs later on. U.S. manufacturers can compete in the world marketplace if we simply learn a few important lessons. Chief among these lessons is efficiency and knowing the cost of change.... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
An exception to the industry rule
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments. You feel a different ethos when you step into a good workplace. The energy is palpable and shared by everyone who... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2007
Is a good attitude all it takes?
After 30 years of hard work in the metalworking industry, I now have been told that all you really need to succeed is a good attitude. This comes as a real shock to those of us who were misled years ago into thinking that education, experience, discipline, integrity, and a strong work... Read more...
Article
December 12, 2006
Moving in the right direction
To overcome the logistical challenges of its 21,000-sq.-ft. curb adapter manufacturing facility, Crystal Distribution moved from its Maple Grove, Minn., location into a 32,000-sq.-ft. facility built to suit its needs. When an HVAC unit is replaced, often the new unit doesn't match the... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Hanging on to your skilled workers
As documented in the article Fabricators in search of skilled labor , 77 percent of respondents to an August 2006 "Fabricating Update" hiring survey are seeking skilled workers and having difficulty finding them. In today's tight labor market, employers can't afford to lose the... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Fabricators in search of skilled workers
The August 2006 "Fabricating Update" hiring survey revealed that the majority of metal manufacturers have job openings they are struggling to fill. Almost 77 percent of respondents are looking for skilled workers and having difficulty finding them. About 6 percent are hiring and... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
The U.S. sedan — an endangered species?
Over the last decade the U.S. market has become a global anomaly. Vehicle buyers in Europe and Asia have embraced fuel-efficient vehicles and shunned SUVs and pickups popular in the U.S. Even their minivans are smaller and more efficient. The hatchback (popular overseas) combines the fuel... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
The Midwest automotive exodus—fact or myth?
Newspapers are filled with articles chronicling the growing automotive investment in the South and companies leaving the Midwest. Automakers from Asia and Europe have located many of their new facilities in Southern rural locations. They often move into small towns where they become the... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
SUVs: A profit center in flux
The late 1990s and the first few years of the 21st century were the glory days for large SUVs. Trucks and sticker prices grew bigger with each redesign as an endless supply of oil and a flourishing economy drove demand. The Big Three took full advantage. Their decades of experience making... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
10 steps to winning a government contract - Step 7
Let's review what this series has covered. You should follow 10 basic steps when doing business with the federal government:
Think like the government.
Identify your customers.
Get registered.
Find bid leads.
Get the bid package.
Review the bid.
Get the... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Achieving quality global manufacturing networks
Pressure from customers, regulatory agencies, and shareholders is driving manufacturers to produce higher-quality products as they continue to strive for additional cost reductions. Although high quality is a key determinant of customer satisfaction and long-term corporate... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Productivity—The human factor
Each month the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the productivity and costs numbers. Why? Productivity is an economic barometer.
A measure of economic efficiency, productivity shows how effectively economic inputs—labor, materials, equipment—are... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
10 steps to winning a government contract - Step 9
So you have your contract and have delivered on time and within specification. Now it's time to address payment.
Getting paid is a fascinating topic to discuss. Some companies fight tooth and nail to get in with commercial contractors because they think they're easy to deal... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Managing success
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments. During a Joint Economic Committee hearing in 2005, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan addressed a... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
How to get a handle on your inventory
Interest rates and inflation are climbing, price pressures are increasing, and energy costs are rising. Some Wall Street economists say a slowdown has already started, based on the lackluster first-quarter inflation-adjusted U.S. gross domestic product growth, which is almost 20 percent... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
Auto show lessons
According to an old industry adage, you can judge the financial health of automakers by the food they serve at their parties—the bigger the shrimp, the fatter the wallet. By that measure, Toyota should have served lobster tails and champagne at its Camry® introduction, and GM... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
Management matters
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments. Economist Clyde Prestowitz recently published Three Billion New Capitalists: The Great Shift of Wealth and... Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
The China-dominated manufacturing environment
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from William Barron's presentation, "China's growing economic influence—How are you reacting?" presented at the 3rd annual STAMPING Journal® Forum, May 10-11, 2005, Troy, Ohio. Anyone who reads the newspapers knows that manufacturing... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Are you still settling for good enough?
Editor's Note: This article is a continuation of "Why settle for good enough?"
What do you see in the bookstores these days? You see rows of weary shelves, some bending under the burden of books revealing the secrets of self-help swamis, and others twisting under the turgid... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2005
Achieving consistent stock lubrication with less oil
Figure 1 LVLP systems use precision spray valves and air pressure of 5 to 10 pounds per square inch (PSI) to apply a uniform film of lubricant over the stock surface. When it comes to stock lubrication, metal stampers often choose to flood their strip or sheet with oil rather than... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Collaboration in the stamping industry
This scenario is familiar to many metal stamping manufacturers: The customer's new product, designed to be an entry-level model, is struggling even before it enters the market. Tooling is completed, but costs have spiraled out of control, and the projected profit margins look... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Selling to GM – A tough customer gets tougher
It's no secret that automotive suppliers regard General Motors as one tough customer. The automaker's relentless focus on cost-cutting has made few friends in the supplier community. GM recently made several announcements that may signal an even greater focus on price. Over the last several... Read more...
Article
August 9, 2005
Getting your mojo back
If you are the leader or a manager in an organization, I have a question for you: Do you believe your energy level affects your employees? Before you answer, I want you first to recall bosses you've had and consider this question: Did their energy levels affect yours? If you're typical of... Read more...
Article
May 10, 2005
Making the best possible decisions
Decision-making is an important activity for business owners and leaders. It also can be a source of frustration for both the decision-makers and those affected by the decisions. Although as a leader or manager you always might not show your worry or concern when making decisions, many... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
The Big Three's 2005 cost challenges
A decline in the Big Three's market share, combined with rising health care and retiree costs, is contributing to extreme cost pressures for the Big Three and their suppliers. The Sales Situation 2004 was a tough year in Detroit. The overall U.S. market for light-vehicle sales increased more... Read more...
Article
March 8, 2005
Not Your Parents' Workplace
In recent years there has been considerable discussion of a coming labor shortage. A large number of workers are expected to leave the work force when the baby boomers retire, and the younger generations comprise a considerably smaller demographic. According to a study by the Employment... Read more...
Article
March 1, 2005
10 steps to winning a government contract - Step 3
So you've gone through the process of finding the bids, sorted through all the keywords, visited FedBizOpps, and found the bid. What's the first thing you need to do? Remember, when you submit a bid to the federal government, even though the government provided you with all the... Read more...
Article
December 1, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 12
Editor's Note: This is the twelfth episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They have been talking about establishing a continuous improvement program. "Continuous improvement," I grumbled. There are excellent books on this topic and I have... Read more...
Article
November 9, 2004
Managing Success: The value of rewards
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments. Employee reward programs can be a great way to motivate staff. If set up correctly, they are a win/win... Read more...
Article
November 1, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 11
Editor's Note: This is the eleventh episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." He has been advised to develop a feedback system and to become a master of metrology. My guru missed my joking attempt at yoda-speak. "Meteorology is the study of... Read more...
Article
October 12, 2004
When hurricanes come
As I watched the power of these hurricanes on television, I wondered how they must have altered the lives of thousands of people. What grand plans were temporarily or permanently altered because of these events of nature? It was apparent from the reports of those affected that... Read more...
Article
September 14, 2004
Winning with Lean
Larry Martin hates the term lean manufacturing. "When someone mentions lean manufacturing, it usually conjures up visions of layoffs and a stark, militarylike plant," said Larry Martin, vice president of Utah-based Martin Door Manufacturing Inc. He blames lean manufacturing's bad... Read more...
Article
September 14, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 9
Editor's Note: This is the ninth episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They have been talking about business network tiers, and the guru has asked Gerald to identify which tier his job shop is in. I sucked in my gums and tried to ape his... Read more...
Article
September 14, 2004
Article
September 14, 2004
The case for open-book management
Editor's Note: This column was prepared by the staff of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit organization that helps small and midsized businesses create better work environments. Some companies' financial information is not exclusively in the realm of accountants and top management.... Read more...
Article
August 10, 2004
Job Burnout—Part 3
This is the last in a series of articles about job burnout. Part I discussed the causes. Part II covered symptoms and solutions from an individual standpoint. It also included a test to help you determine where you are in terms of burnout. Job burnout is a complicated condition... Read more...
Article
August 10, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 8
Editor's Note: This is the eighth episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They have been talking about communication among operator, machine, and management—the "work unit." I started to answer his question about how a piece of equipment... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 7
Editor's Note: This is the seventh episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They have been talking about sales training. "Why does it matter whether the sales staff understands this concept of buying a contract? If they are getting orders and... Read more...
Article
June 8, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 6
Editor's Note: This is the sixth episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They had been talking about the contract period when doubts were raised about what his sales force was really selling. At just that moment, a line of hikers passed by on... Read more...
Article
June 1, 2004
Why companies really fail and how to turn them around, Part II
World-class manufacturing is a common catch phrase, but it's usually used even though the company has done nothing to justify the highfalutin title. Many companies have been using manufacturing resource planning (MRP), lean manufacturing, kaizen, kanban, Six Sigma systems, statistical process... Read more...
Article
June 1, 2004
Why companies really fail and how to turn them around, Part I
Why do some companies fail or continuously underperform? It's a complex question with as many "answers" as there are heads of industries and university scholars. In actuality, the most common reason for business failure is poor cash flow. Most organizations experience severe cash flow problems... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Dealing with difficult people
Whether the contact is in a group meeting, one-on-one, or even when you think about this person, you get the same negative feeling in the pit of your stomach. These are the people that take not only your time, but also something more valuable. They rob you of your energy. Is It Possible... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 5
Editor's Note: This is the fifth episode in a mountaintop dialogue that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They have been talking about throughput and the time line of money. "Now that you know the main events in the time line of money, your chore is to figure out how to make... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Working safely in busy times
It may be premature to say that manufacturing has turned the economic corner to recovery, but signs at the end of first-quarter 2004 look promising. Overall, nonfarm payrolls increased by over 500,000 in the first quarter, according to recent U.S. Labor Department reports, and factory payrolls... Read more...
Article
April 6, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 4
"In the ideal time line of money, my best customer would prepay. In that situation, the shop's throughput would not matter because the customer's cash would be doing all of the work," I proclaimed. My little guru opened one eye to peer at me. With an arched eyebrow he looked at me as though I... Read more...
Article
April 6, 2004
Lean and Mean
The metal stamping industry is facing many challenges, such as increased raw material prices, pressure from automotive industry OEM and Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers to cut costs, and increased competition from low-cost offshore stampers. To stay profitable, stampers have to reduce prices... Read more...
Article
March 25, 2004
Competing in the global arena
Less than 40 seconds to go. The home team is down by 2 points. Tension grows as the clock counts down. The players and referees dart back and forth, and the action never slows. This isn't some staid, gentlemanly game like chess or golf. This is a full-contact sport, a sport in which the... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 3
Editor's Note: This is the third episode in a mountaintop dialog that Gerald has been having with a "wise business guru." They have been talking about cash flow and the time line of money. I continued watching the beavers as they worked on their good dam. I realized the poetic similarity... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2004
Welding fume health hazards
In 2003 NIOSH published a comprehensive review of scientific literature on health effects associated with welding. The article, "Health Effects of Welding,"1 noted that past investigations have found bronchitis, airway irritation, and other respiratory illnesses in large numbers of... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2004
Implementing open-book management
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from Larry Dunville's workshop presented at the STAMPING Journal® Forum: Strategies for Stamping Success, Feb. 5-7, 2003, Orlando, Fla. U.S. manufacturing is experiencing the most significant threats in its history. Since World War II, U.S.... Read more...
Article
February 26, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 2
Editor's Note: This is the second episode of a mountaintop dialog between Gerald and a wise business guru. Gerald has just been told that he has not been adept at the three critical management responsibilities – cash flow, policy, and enforcement. I glared at my adviser. He glared back... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2004
Employee training
Signs point to a manufacturing recovery—albeit slow—and employers are reinstating training. With many programs cut, where can today's workers find the training they need to advance their careers and help their companies remain competitive? Gain or Loss? As understandable... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2004
Emergency preparedness: A critical safety program component
The guy who works next to you suddenly sustains a serious injury or has a medical emergency. Do you know what to do? You are injured on the job or have a medical emergency. Do your co-workers know what to do? If you answered no to any of these questions, you and those around you are... Read more...
Article
January 29, 2004
Managing environmental risk in tube, pipe production
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from a presentation made at the TPJ Symposium, March 16-18, 2003, Scottsdale, Ariz. The U.S. Congress and the states have created a complex scheme of environmental rules and regulations with which tube and pipe producers must comply.... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2004
Wise words from the mountaintop—Part 1
Prevailing economic conditions have put me in a funk. It seems that the last time I really knew what I was doing as a business manager was in 1995. At that time my job shop was reporting profits, our machinery was in excellent condition, and our major customers were forecasting solid growth. I... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2003
Finding and creating value in your stamping operation
Their focus on time requires that material flow smoothly through the production processes in concert with sales orders, raw materials, and purchased parts. It also requires smaller production batch sizes. Most important, these companies have learned that the greatest waste and excess... Read more...
Article
November 20, 2003
Workers' compensation—Managing the process
Editor's note: Portions of this article were published previously in an issue of FMA/TPA "Member Connections." State workers' compensation laws were enacted to ensure that covered employees who are injured on the job are provided with monetary benefits to cover medical expenses and to... 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 6, 2003
Meeting ISO 14001 requirements
First published in 1996, ISO 14001 specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system. It applies to those environmental aspects an organization can control. Achieving ISO 14001 requires documented improvement. First, you must document your current environmental conditions... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2003
Is your company a breeding ground for workplace violence?
Approximately 2 million U.S. workers are victims of workplace violence each year. In 1997 the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported that an average of 20 workers are murdered each week in the U.S., and an estimated 18,000 per week are victims of nonfatal... 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 23, 2003
Material handling safety
How the material or goods are unloaded or loaded is a key factor in reducing employee injuries. Persons involved in material handling should be able to lift and hold the weight of the material or goods used in their operations. They also must be properly trained in the correct way to lift... 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
August 14, 2003
Workplace stress—Part 2
In his bestseller, Spontaneous Healing , Andrew Weil, M.D., wrote, "All illnesses should be assumed to be stress-related until proved otherwise. Even if stress is not the primary cause of illness, it is frequently an aggravating factor. To say that a bodily complaint is... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Workplace stress—Part 1
Among the many definitions of stress in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is "A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Article
July 24, 2003
The business of lasers
From the laser manufacturers' standpoint, the U.S. market for lasers has simply gotten smaller. This is a function of multiple market forces. The slumping manufacturing sector is a major influence, but so is the increased productivity of today's laser systems. At its peak during 1994 and... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2003
What price workers' compensation insurance?
According to an article in the June 23 issue of The New York Times , the cost of workers' compensation insurance has soared to its highest rate in nearly a decade, adding yet another heavy burden on businesses and the struggling national economy. Nationwide, the average cost of the... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2003
Article
June 26, 2003
Managers are not necessarily leaders
There are business leaders and there are business managers. And while some leaders are managers and some managers are leaders, many times leaders and managers are very different animals. All too often we fail to recognize these differences in our businesses' day-to-day operations.
Many U.S.... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2003
Using technology to implement lean manufacturing
Lean manufacturing meshes today's information technology with Toyota's much-lauded just-in-time (JIT) approach, which has been adopted by many manufacturers. The Toyota Production System assembly line manufacturing methodology, developed in the 1950s, professed the importance of "getting the... 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
Defibrillators—Should you have one in your workplace?
Photo courtesy of American Heart Science . In December 2001 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a statement encouraging employers to consider making automated external defibrillators (AEDs) available in their workplaces. This announcement followed the... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2003
Employees value workplace health and wellness programs
A November 2002 study commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) found that nearly 60 percent of the respondents consider health and wellness program offerings from employers a viable incentive to stay at their current job. Seventy-eight percent would... Read more...
Article
January 16, 2003
The X, Y, Z's of Management
Marty Rice I recently read that a bachelor's degree now is expected to take five years instead of four. I was glad to hear that, seeing as how I earned my bachelor's degrees on the 20-year plan. I started college but dropped out to go into the service. I used the G.I. bill upon my... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2002
Merging research with manufacturing
It doesn't take vast financial resources, though, to gain access to modern research. By partnering with a university's engineering program, a manufacturer can benefit from the knowledge and experience of professors and students at a fraction of the cost of hiring researchers and... Read more...
Article
August 29, 2002
Keeping peace and harmony with yourself, with your staff
Happy people create successful companies. "Everything in moderation" the adage goes. Do you maintain balance in your life? Running a business means running your mind full-time. Obsession with work is a natural consequence of the fear of failure. I understand that.
Get that bid out to the... Read more...
Article
March 28, 2002
Taking a look at performance appraisals
As our work lives continue to become more complex, many managers are looking for assistance in the ongoing effort to achieve results—often with fewer resources. In the middle of all this, it may be helpful to develop a simpler strategy when attempting to communicate your expectations to... Read more...
Article
March 28, 2002
Organizational planning
Have you ever played volleyball at a company picnic? It can be a lot of fun, and the rules are easy enough so that everyone can be invited to play. One of the important concepts is not to let the ball hit the ground on your side of the net. I'd be surprised if that concept wasn't pretty darned... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
An industry perspective
On the positive side, job shops continue to be innovative and improve productivity; materials and software are improving; entry-level positions normally can be filled. On the down side, the author feels that supply chain management is partly responsible for the industry's recession. Inventory... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
The new face of manufacturing on the Net
The other shoe started to drop for the First Wave of Internet start-ups nearly two years ago now, and keen observers could have forecasted much the same fate for first-mover Internet players in the manufacturing sector such as e-STEEL, Suppliermarket.com, Metfabcity, and aluminium.com.... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
Article
January 10, 2002
Survival in a down economy
We manufacturers traditionally respond to reduced demand in the marketplace by cutting our work forces, tightening our expenses, and cutting capital budgets. We try to do this and still preserve enough of our infrastructure to recover quickly when the market improves. These measures are... Read more...
Article
November 15, 2001
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
July 26, 2001
How to avoid getting burned by hot work
Hot work can have disastrous results in a myriad of situations: At a metal processing plant, sheet steel became jammed in a tempering mill. An operator began using a cutting torch to remove the steel. Hot slag from the torch ignited oil deposits and oil-soaked paper towels lying around... Read more...
Article
July 26, 2001
How one company organized its powder coating process
In today's metal finishing industry, quality and efficiency are of equal value to the customer. Quality is important for obvious reasons; efficiency is desired because it keeps prices down and results in short lead-times for customers. The finishing process typically is the final... Read more...
Article
June 15, 2001
Gas-shielded cored wires find their niche
Object Gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) and metal-cored arc welding (MCAW) are growing in popularity for many applications. To determine if these wires should be used, shop managers should understand how formulations of cored wires do or do not fit their quality requirements for... Read more...
Article
April 24, 2001
Article
March 5, 2001
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February 19, 2001
