The importance of storage planningMaterial and equipment storage can be a major concern for fabricators. Therefore, it is important to establish the purpose of a storage system and understand clearly what it needs to accomplish.
|
|
Big steel on the ropes: Consolidation looms for a troubled industryIntegrated steel mills in the U.S. are feeling the heat of foreign competition, pricing problems, and bankruptcies. How long will it be before consolidations start narrowing the field?
|
|
Proper guarding protects workers: Six steps to focusing on your employees' needsWhen people think of machine guarding, usually they think of devices to protect people from the moving parts on machinery.
|
|
Maximizing your scrap's value: Diligence in preparation and tracking pays offThe more uniform and contaminant-free that scrap is when fabricators provide it to recyclers, the more fabricators can benefit. This article addresses the two principles for selling scrap to recyclers: know what you're selling vs. what you're getting paid for, and incorporate sorting & cleaning into your production stream.
|
|
Put your money where your mouse is: How to succeed in e-businessTo decrease your chance of failure in e-business, focus on the business issues first and the technology issues second.
|
|
Building a better business model: Strategic planning basics for automotive stampers to improve profitJust what is a strategic business model, and how can it be developed and used by an automotive stamping supplier wanting to boost its bottom line?
|
|
Mediating commercial conflictThis article explores some of the aspects of a commercial mediation I performed some years ago. The identities of the participants and the facts of the case have been changed to preserve the participants' privacy and the confidentiality inherent in mediation cases. This case was selected because of the intense emotional feelings that surrounded what should have been a straightforward and rather simple business arrangement. So often it seems that the feelings, emotions, and egos of the participants in a conflict can mean more than the dollars or tangible value involved.
|
|
Taxing situation: New tax incentives aimed at helping out people like metal fabricatorsMost fabricators aren't knowledgeable about tax laws and don't have time to immerse themselves in tax updates. They're too busy on the shop floor.
|
|
Implementing open-book management: A management philosophy for surviving the global economyToday global competitors are literally willing to work for food. U.S. workers want a car, a home, and a college education for their kids in addition to their meals. Reducing pay and eliminating benefits is not an answer for anything but a lower standard of living. The challenge is not reducing compensation but rather dramatically improving productivity. Making owners out of employees is the ticket to that productivity. Open Book Management is a philosophy—a value system.
|
|
Family business going strong after 100 yearsThe average lifespan of a family-owned business is 24 years, and 60 percent of family-owned businesses do not have a clear succession plan. Tell that to the Peddinghaus Corporation and you might be in for a big "Oh really?" In business for 100 years and with a Peddinghaus still at the helm, the family-owned manufacturer of steel construction industry equipment clearly is a statistical exception.
|
|
Beating 'world' pricing: Nu-Way Industries finds the formula to take on competition from ChinaDuring the depths of the manufacturing slowdown that has cost the fabricated metal products sector nearly 300,000 jobs since 2000, Steven Southwell, president of Des Plaines, Ill.-based Nu-Way Industries Inc., faced a depressing challenge from one of his multinational OEM customers??either meet the ??total cost of acquisition? achieved in China or purchase the part from the Chinese supplier, inventory it, and incorporate it into the family of parts supplied by Nu-Way.
|
|
'It's gonna be painful' Metal industry players note little to reassure them in days aheadManufacturers were hurting before September. How do things look now? Well ... they could be better, industry players say.
|
|
Mac's Muse: One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes ... gone! As U.S. steel industry gets its lunch eaten, many parties can share blameA lot of parties can share the blame for what's happened to the North American steel industry, and its going to take effort from them all to pull the industry out of its quagmire. Can it be done? Time will tell.
|
|
10 questions to ask about equipment leasing: Inquire before you signEquipment leasing—an arrangement in which a business pays for the use of equipment but does not own it—is growing in popularity for many reasons. Benefits of leasing include flexibility, convenience, and protection from having to be responsible for equipment obsolescence.
|
|
Pinpointing future laser welding marketsAficionados of laser welding technology at times must feel a little like telephone vendors beamed back to 1603. They know almost everyone is going to use them in the future, but getting buy-in today can be like hawking loans at 25 percent-lots of interest and few takers.
|
|
A 'bout' with the championRep. Don Manzullo speaks about taxes, steel tariffs, health care, and manufacturing's future.
|
|
Tips on Lean Manufacturing: Mastering the stop 'n' go of your shop's work flowMastering the flow of work through your shop is your most important taks if you are attempting Toyota's approach to lean manufacturing.
|
|
Using technology to implement lean manufacturingLean 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.
|
|
Getting the most for your money: 12 financial tips for welding professionalsThese include the importance of contributing to an individual retirement account, retirement programs for the self-employed, tax-exempt investments, $10,000/year gift tax exclusions, charitable contributions, how much money you should keep in checking and savings accounts, liquidity, and diversified portfolios.
|
|
The future of vocational educationThe death knell is sounding for vocational programs throughout the U.S. Readers who responded "Yes, vocational programs have been cut" to thefabricator.com's recent question regarding the status of vocational programs where they live outnumbered those responding "No, vocational programs are intact" three to one.
|
|
Budget cuts hit welding hard: Extraordinary effort is critical to welding programs’ survival |
|
Is your company a breeding ground for workplace violence?Workplace violence—many of us think about it only when national or local media reports an incident. Most of us probably think it happens infrequently and never could happen where we work. And it's likely that workplace violence victims thought the same thing, before it happened to them.
|
|
Contract stamper increases die life and draw die productivity: Link-drive presses, value-added services, and employee initiative keep the company competitive |
|
Hydraulic presses make their mark |
|
Finding and creating value in your stamping operation: How to analyze your plant to improve profitabilityA different breed of competitor has emerged recently in the stamping industry to challenge traditional thinking. These competitors are companies that focus on time as a basic measurement, giving them the advantages of flexibility, innovation, responsiveness, and low costs. They know how to make money in stamping operations and take business away from less astute competitors.
|
|
Do you use checking jigs and fixtures?: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cureHow do you check tube fabrications to ensure they meet quality standards? Do you ship parts without checking them and hope that the next time the phone rings it isn't a prelude to a tirade from a disgruntled customer? Or do you check finished parts only to realize that your scrap rate is too high and wish you had checked them at earlier stages of the manufacturing process?
|
|
The problem with quality: A closer look at quality ratingsIn May, automotive quality gurus J.D. Power & Associates released the results of its 2003 Initial Quality Study (IQS). As is the case every year, the winners will trumpet their scores while the losers will promise improvement. A closer look at the numbers, however, reveals some interesting observations.
|
|
Part nesting and die design tips for reducing and utilizing scrap in stamping operationsYou might be able to gain a competitive edge by learning how to reduce the amount of engineered scrap, or that material that was inteded to be scrap rather than scrap created because of defective piece parts.
|
|
Rising expectations spark new approach to draw die development: Reconciling demands for increased quality at lower costsA recently formulated approach to draw die development incorporates simultaneous engineering to identify and address potential problems before dies are built.
|
|
Cutting die-related costs: Where to look to save moneyDemands for cheaper, better, and faster tooling for stampings and the pace of business continue to escalate. This trend is not going to reverse itself.
|
|
Die width selection |
|
Automating your end forming operation: How to maximize efficiency in the shopEfficiency, productivity, and quality are focal points for end forming operations, and many manufacturers are looking to automation to improve those dimensions of their businesses.
|
|
Waste not, want not: ArrayArray
|
|
Using a gel-type tube lube: Manufacturer decreases waste, improves lubrication |
|
Choosing the right robotic weld cell for your operationYour company's first robot may cause more trouble than expected. This doesn't mean that the robot will not work, but it is a piece of
|
|
Examining tube mill roll tooling, setup, and maintenanceIn today's competitive market, two of the most important considerations for high-quality production are proper roll tooling setup and mill alignment.
|
|
GMAW vs. FCAW for beginners: Choose the best process for your small operationThere are several pros and cons to using the gas metal arc welding process versus the flux cored arc welding process in compact applications.
|
|
Considering the benefits of pulse spray transfer GMAW |
|
It happens 'under the hood': Chicago-area builder of water gardens becomes sculptorRick Walsh isn't your typical artisan, nor are his works typical welding pieces. But his personal evolution as both an artist and a welder illustrate the innovation and persistence of any successful welding operation.
|
|
Reviving the past: Welding students restore ironwork to Victorian-era YMCA building |
|
How to Kill a Robotic Project in Five Easy StepsHow would you like to fail utterly in your quest to modernize your shop with robotic weldingequipment? Look no further—we've got all the bad advice you need right here.
|
|
Is robotic welding right for you?: Making an informed decisionThis article examines robotic welding and discusses the considerations behind choosing to use (or not use) welding robots. It answers the questions what comprises a robotic welding installation, what costs are associated, and what industries are best suited for robotic welding.
|
|
Gas-shielded cored wires find their niche: Suitable applications for flux-cored and metal-cored electrodesGas-shielded flux-cored and metal-cored wires are growing in popularity because the wires are fabricated and can be applied to many applications.
|
|
Shielding gas consumption efficiency-- Part I: Spend a penny, save a dollarInstalling a bulk delivery system in your welding shop is perhaps the best way to save money
|
|
The Brakes- Press Brakes and You -- How to get the most out of your press brakeProblems with your press brake imperil what could be the most valuable machine you have. Take pains to ensure the health of this valuable piece of equipment.
|
|
Making your own punch and diesHow many times have you looked through huge piles of blueprints for a prototype part or short-run job and thought, "If only I had that tool, this job would be a piece of cake?"
|
|
Press brakes: the quest for a happy ending: Manufacturers, users hope technology is the ticketScreen some press brake owners and manufacturers these days, and it's like they're all reading from the same script:
|
|
Repair Brazing: Fixing Faulty Jobs and worn-out componentsBrazing has myriad uses for shop repairs. Knowing what seperates a proper brazing job from a poop one can save you alot of headaches and produce some slick results in the process.
|
|
Turning up the power: Using lasers to cut thick plateThe 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 steady increase during the last 12 months of installations for high-power 3,000- to 4,000-watt laser systems and a decline in sales of lasers with power levels less than 2,000 watts.
|