Content tagged with "material-handling"
Results: 48
Article
March 1, 2010
Rolling for wind
Wind towers have gotten their fair share of coverage over the past few years. Much of what's made headlines involves the regulations and tax benefits that promote the technology. What isn't talked about as much is the actual design of the wind towers themselves. Details get complicated,... Read more...
Spanish
February 9, 2010
Pensando más allí de la prensa de cortina
Figura 1
Una dobladora automatizada de paneles posiciona una pieza de trabajo. Foto cortesía de Salvagnini America.
Cuando los fabricantes piensan en doblado automatizado, usualmente viene a la mente un robot conectado a una prensa de cortina. Así es en volúmenes altos. Pero... Read more...
Article
February 9, 2010
Bright lights, big opportunity
Figure 1 Aluminum is used for the frame of Orion Energy Systems' lighting products because it conducts heat five times better than steel. Photos courtesy of Prima Finn-Power North America Inc. Orion Energy Systems is a company that doesn't take its business lightly. A Plymouth, Wis.,... Read more...
Article
November 2, 2009
Everything you wanted to know about overhead cranes
Figure 1 Overhead traveling bridge cranes are very familiar sights in metal fabricating shops. These cranes come in single- and double-girder bridge designs. Photo courtesy of North American Industries Inc. Plenty of metal fabricating operations have overhead cranes, but do plenty of... Read more...
Article
October 26, 2009
Pipe supplier reduces aisle width, material handling
SITUATION
Pipe-Valves Inc., Columbus, Ohio, opened its doors for business 46 years ago. A family-owned company, it employs 40 people and is an independent supplier of industrial pipe and tube and related products, such as valves, actuators, fittings, and gauges. It serves industrial accounts... Read more...
Article
October 5, 2009
Thinking outside the press brake
Figure 1 An automated panel bender positions a workpiece. Photo courtesy of Salvagnini America. When fabricators think about automated bending, a robot tied to a press brake usually comes to mind. So do high volumes. But press brakes aren't the only automation option, and high volumes... Read more...
Article
August 1, 2009
Saying 'yes' when others can't
These days a shop manager may look at material handling towers, offloading stations, and other automated setups and think the technology might be good for healthier times, but not today. What good is automation when even manual machines aren't running full-out even for one shift, let alone... Read more...
Article
April 28, 2009
New press? What will you do with the scrap?
An indexing, nine-position swivel chute is suitable for filling parallel roll-offs.
So, you found the money to buy a press. You've got a commitment from your best customer for 250,000 pieces a year for 12 different parts. You've gotten everything lined up: the cradle, the straightener,... Read more...
Article
March 10, 2009
Article
October 14, 2008
Article
October 14, 2008
Article
September 30, 2008
Conveying flexibility
Figure 1 When selecting a conveyor, consider present and future material handling needs. For instance, two narrow conveyors, ganged together in a timing-belt setup, could carry wide parts for a current application, then be broken down and used individually for future jobs. For... Read more...
Article
September 30, 2008
Automation helps ovenmaker cook up profits
The test kitchen at Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash., showcases most of the commercial kitchen appliances the company fabricates.
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Bellingham, that's automation. That slight variation of the old Dean Martin tune makes a lot of sense for Wood Stone... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
Getting lean, job shop style
Most managers at Ace have been with the company for years. President Dale Ball joined the firm 21 years ago. CEO Jean Pitzo took the reins of her father's business in 1989.
Visit Ace Metal Crafts Co. in Franklin Park, Ill., a stone's throw away from landing lights at Chicago's O'Hare... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
When does a punch/laser make sense?
Shops that process enough of the right parts can increase uptime and reduce secondary operations with a combination punch/laser machine. Photo courtesy of TRUMPF Inc.
Business growth led Hawkeye Industries President and CEO Bryan Hawkins to seek a machine that could punch and laser-cut... Read more...
Article
July 29, 2008
What you should know about stamping coated coil
Nearly 90 years ago engineers discovered how to unroll a coil of aluminum or steel, apply a primer or a finish coat, and then recoil it before shipping it to be processed. Since those early days of prepainted metal, many stampers and fabricators have found that it makes sense to form parts... Read more...
Article
July 15, 2008
A new look at lift trucks
Late-night legend Johnny Carson often played a character called Karnak, who could provide the answer to a question before the question was revealed to him. So in the spirit of this Nebraska-born prognosticator, let's throw out an answer. A: $4-per-gallon gas. Q: What caused drivers to... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
So what if one saw cuts faster than another?
As the need for flexibility increases in a shop, the need for high-production-volume cutting decreases. Comparing one saw to another might reveal quite a few differences, even though the saws might be similar in many ways. One difference might be cutting speed. To many fabricators, this may... Read more...
Spanish
November 6, 2007
Article
November 6, 2007
Increasing waterjet cutting profitability
Over the past five years, the number of waterjet cutting machines sold worldwide, both abrasive and pure water, has increased by an average of 18 percent annually. That growth is projected to continue for the foreseeable future. Fabricators are showing more interest in the technology as... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Successful automation isn't automatic
Figure 1 The location of structural supports and electrical supplies influence the placement of a laser cutting cell and material handling automation in a plant. As with so many other ventures in life, successfully implementing a laser automation system rests on one key practice:... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Select the right storage rack system for your needs
The storage requirements for warehouses and distribution centers are unique to each operation. The most productive and cost-effective system may necessitate several different types of rack-storage working in unison. After analyzing customer needs, the optimum system is designed, manufactured and... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Move heavy loads with less cost
The rugged-duty "Slugger" Model 850B Transporter Conveying System, by Vibro Industries, has been reengineered to provide several distinct benefits that improve quality and reduce operating costs. First, the Slugger 850B now provides 100% oil-less operation and is 100% air operated (no... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Packaging finished stampings
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from Greg Yahn's conference presented at FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, Nov. 13-16, 2005, Chicago, Ill.,© 2005 by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and the American... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Better safe than saw awry
Kirsan Engineering's saw loader has eliminated the need for a jib crane and a hoist. Lift trucks now deliver the barstock and tubing to its two Amada HA250 band saws with automatic feed. Safety is the most important, and most often the least appreciated, aspect of manufacturing. Simply put,... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Improving warehouse operations for tube, pipe
Photo courtesy of Combilift USA, Greensboro, N.C. Many large warehouses for pipe and long metal products are more than 300,000 square feet, with 2,000 to 3,000 product numbers, or stock-keeping units (SKUs), and more than five miles of shelving and thousands of bin locations. This represents... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Laser cutting with less labor and less hassle
In February 2007 a four-man precision metal fabricating shop—with the help of two temporary employees—laser-cut more than 500 jobs comprising 73,863 metal pieces and weighing more than 315,000 pounds. That's good news for Chris Hollenback, president of Integrated Manufacturing... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
Flexible automation of laser cutting, material handling
Automated parts removal helps to eliminate the non-value-added aspects of laser cutting, but a closer look at nesting is necessary to get the most efficiency out of the automated operation.
In the world of sheet metal fabrication, intelligent fabricating with a laser cutting machine... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
Reducing tube bending cycle times
Two trends—unrelenting cost pressures and the inclination to send manufacturing jobs to low-cost countries—have left many fabricators feeling that they are caught in a trap with no way out. While the pressure to reduce costs will never subside, and the low manufacturing costs in... Read more...
Article
February 13, 2007
Handling improvements in safety, efficiency
Over the years the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state regulators have driven higher workplace standards in safety procedures, checks, and processes. While more stringent safety practices are vital to employees' health and well-being, it is not necessarily obvious... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Manufacturing evolution in the job shop
Because of their press brakes' dynamic crowning and springback compensation technology, Gardner Manufacturing operators can bend long parts without worrying about the material bowing or twisting. Bronze Age, Iron Age, Industrial Age—each period in civilization's history has led... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Expanding upward and outward
The LVP LUS laser cutting machine not only is designed to be 50 percent faster than older models, but also features automatic lens focus and height adjustment. It's elementary for Watson. If Watson Engineering wanted to keep up with its customers in the heavy-duty equipment industry,... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Long loads, narrow aisles, easy access
Ireland is called the Emerald Isle, and for good reason. Regardless of the season, much of the island is covered with lush green vegetation. The mild winter weather is a product of the Gulf Stream, the Atlantic Ocean current that pushes moderate weather north from the Gulf of Mexico. The... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Euros zoned in on competing
Ilinox's Express Bender panel bending machine, which features automated load and unload of sheet metal blanks, is fed by its large Night Train storage system. A strong independent streak exists in the American psyche. It helped forge an industrialized nation out of the wilderness and... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Reaching peak performance, productivity
Robotic welding has helped Alpine Engineered Products improve productivity, weld consistency, and overall product quality; eliminate outsourcing; and cut lead-times for its line of truss fabrication tables. The company invested inrobotic welding equipment that performs 85... Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
Productivity: From pipe dream to reality
The pipe fabrication industry continues to evolve because of changes in the work force, materials, welding specifications, and fabrication methods. These changes have caused companies to look for more efficient and modern ways to complete projects in less time with improved profits, while... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Don't get stuck
Incline and vertical magnetic conveyors are designed to conserve valuable floor space. Soft-belt magnetic conveyors feed presses and transport parts from one workstation to another or from production to inspection, storage, or packaging operations. Magnetic conveyors can be configured... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2005
Scrap the belt conveyors
The beltless conveyor system on this mechanical press removes scrap for four different stamping jobs. With the Multiple Tray System, a set of trays is dedicated to each die. American Trim keeps the trays stored with the dies to expedite press setup. To the contrary of popular opinion,... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2005
Creating an efficient offline band sawing system
Editor's Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on offline band saw cutting. Part I, which appeared in the September issue, focused mainly on material handling and included some related information on sawing. Part II focuses solely on saws and sawing. Answering a few of... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2005
Fast-forward fabricating
The MV automated storage and retrieval system (in the background) supplies the correct metal sheet, whether it's light- or heavy-gauge material, to the appropriate machine in the fabricating cell. The material handling system also accepts work-in-process from the machines, temporarily... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Creating an efficient offline band sawing system Part I
Editor's Note: This is the first article in a two-part series on offline band saw cutting. Part I focuses mainly on material handling and includes some related information on sawing. Part II focuses solely on saws and sawing. This first step in setting up an offline band sawing... Read more...
Article
March 8, 2005
Anchor's a way down the road to improvement
Anchor Fabrication has a reputation for the ability to form long and awkward parts. A 1,200-ton, 52-ft. Pacific press brake in the Precision Division assists in reducing downtime and material handling costs because the parts no longer have to be shipped across the street for forming.... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
Bending and handling tube
It used to be simple: Purchase the tube fabrication machinery necessary for a project and hire motivated workers to get the job done. It's not that simple anymore. Technology advances have made automated bending and material handling processes possible for tube fabricators. Some... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
Controlling double sheet in stamping operations
Almost everyone has experienced a double-sheet problem. Copiers, printers, and fax machines sometimes feed two sheets, which then jam the machines and have to be removed.
While two sheets of paper seldom cause major harm to office equipment, two sheets of metal can cause major damage to tools... Read more...
Article
June 27, 2002
Adding flexibility to stamping operations
You're an industrial engineer working in a large stamping facility, and your boss has just asked you to automate the entire process of producing a part that runs across four independently operated presses. To make things tougher, this workcell can't be dedicated to only one part; it must be... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2002
Article
November 29, 2001
Preventative maintenance as a way of life
Object When I was invited to serve as a preventive maintenance (PM) coordinator at a Chrysler plant in 1992, a story was circulating that was relevant to not only what we learned at Chrysler, but to any stamping line. According to the story, a line supervisor-technician on a Toyota stamping... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2001
Material Handling on Squaring Shears
Often it is thought that to get more production from a shearing operation, another shift, or even a new shear must be added. However, because of a lack of funds, personnel, or floor space, a new shear is not always the answer. The basics of a productive shearing operation are often overlooked.... Read more...
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