Substance abuse in the workplace—Part 2: Preventing and dealing with the problemThe toll that substance abuse takes on the abuser, his or her family and friends, and those who become victims of substance abuse-induced accidents and crimes is well-documented.
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Production economics: Your client wants fast turns and small quantities; so do you!Communicate your production economics in meaningful ways to your clients. Be clear about how you measure performance and regulate processes.
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Fabricating precision parts for automobiles: Examples of Malaysian manufacturers stepping up to strong demandThe Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) trade ministers have agree to move ahead with a closer economic partnership with Australia and New Zealand as an initiative amid the global economic slowdown. This article describes how some Malaysian companies are addressing productivity and cost issues.
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Superior Service—Why you need itService 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
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Taking a look at performance appraisalsIf you make continuous feedback part of your managerial style, the annual performance appraisal becomes an affirmation of a positive working relationship.
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Managing Success: The value of rewards |
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Experimenting with flexible blank holder force control: Prototype shows promise for difficult-to-form materialsThe quality of deep drawn sheet metal products is determined largely by the rate at which a sheet is drawn into a die. Varying blank holder force (BHF) as a function of time or the press stroke is of great importance.
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Predicting springback in air bending, straight flangingAll 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.
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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.
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Achieving straight-side capabilities in a gap-frame press: New developments in motion and frame technologyRecent changes in tooling technologies, material specifications, part quality requirements, and inventory levels have driven the demand for new developments in the way a mechanical press operates. This article discusses how link motion and bridge-frame structures help stampers. This includes a description of what link motion is and how it works, and how bridge frame presses affect frame deflection.
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Investing in lubricants: Increasing your profits 7 percent by changing metalsAll 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.
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Gaining from friction and formability data: Beating rising steel prices and offshore competitionAs steel prices rise and offshore competition increases daily, steel and overhead optimization are driving U.S. metal stamping and forming companies. Companies that survive and thrive are taking a different approach to managing change and cost and are discovering savings in areas never seriously considered before.
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Cutting tube in a recut operation: How to decide on a method and equipmentThis piece, which originally appeared in TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal in 1997, explains how to decide whether to cut tubing on the production line or cut it later in a recut operation. Discusses various types of recutting equipment and focuses on the dual-blade shear cutting method.
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Ironworkers and contractors adapt to FCAW trendsWelders who want to become proficient in a technology whose time has come should look into getting certified for flux-cored arc welding.
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Optimize your plasma performance: 10 steps to proper torch setup, maintenancePlasma arc welding (PAW) uses plasma, a gas that has been heated to a high temperature and ionized. The plasma becomes electrically conductive, transferring an electric arc to the workpiece through a small orifice.
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Which wire do you require?: How to select a gas-shielded welding electrodeAre you looking for ways to improve quality, raise productivity, and save costs in your current welding operations? If you haven't examined the various electrode choices, you could be missing an opportunity to take your production welding to the next level.
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Four factors to consider when purchasing a grinder: You get what you pay forCost often is a deciding factor when you purchase a grinder. However, the saying "you get what you pay for" can be true when you're talking about tools. The price tag alone doesn't always reflect some of the more important factors--performance level, cost to operate, and tool life--that make a grinder worth its cost.
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Understanding weld discontinuities |
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Monitoring laser beam performance: How beam focusability helps evaluate beam quality onlineThis article discusses online laser beam monitoring and its alternatives, with emphasis on beam quality and focusability.
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Job shop reduces costs, improves laser's output: Laser regulator minimizes gas contaminationToday's job shop market is characterized by unrelenting competitive pressure for laser processing services. Job shops are expanding into niche services such as multiaxis laser processing and thick plate applications to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Others are performing additional services such as forming, welding, painting, and assembly to add value.
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