Content tagged with "tube-fabricating"
Results: 26
Article
September 16, 2008
Reflections on a perfectly symmetric ellipse
While many of BR Sculpture's projects involve casting, the company does quite a bit of fabrication work too. Like any fabricator, BR's owner, Brett Richards, occasionally is stumped by a daunting manufacturing problem such as this one-forming a perfectly symmetric frame for a mirror. A... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Machine shop sees the (laser) light
Figure 1 Laser-cut tube parts are given a close inspection after coming off the BLM- Adige LT712D laser tube cutting machine at MG Products Inc. Mark George, president of Elkhart, Ind.-based MG Products Inc., chuckled when asked whether his company is more of a machine shop or a tube... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Automation in tube and pipe welding
Robotic welding of tube and pipe means more control over a task that can be grueling for welders if done manually. Encompassing applications ranging from exhaust systems and fenders to furniture and fencing, tube and pipe welding is a complicated task. That's why robots make so much sense.... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Festivus poles for the rest of us souls
With a dull, lusterless finish, an aluminum pole becomes the symbol for this country's favorite non-holiday holiday—Festivus. Not too many metal fabricators can say they are a supplier of not only metal product, but also a piece of pop culture. The Wagner Companies of Milwaukee can.... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2007
Designing for laser cutting
A revolution is under way in the tube fabrication industry. The revolution is being driven by the need for manufacturers to fabricate tubular products faster, more accurately, at lower cost, and with shorter lead-times than before. The enemies in this fight are a shortage of skilled labor,... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Tube fabricator, machine tool builder automates to accelerate
Stealth Manufacturing Inc. fabricated its own tube unloader for its cutoff line. Instead of relying on special Allen wrenches to adjust the unloader each time a different-sized tube is switched out, the operator just turns the hand cranks for quicker changeovers. Editor's Note: This feature... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Tube fabricator bends with industry changes
Jay Hall, president of Harco Metal Products Inc., Tempe, Ariz., laughs when asked if he ever thought China and other countries would have affected his business when he jumped into tube fabricating 19 years ago. "Then I told them it was a nonissue. I didn't even know they existed," he said.... Read more...
Article
May 8, 2007
Finishing stainless steel tube and pipe efficiently
As the use of stainless steel has expanded into new applications, many tube fabricators are finishing stainless steel for the first time. Some are just experiencing its hard, unforgiving nature, while also discovering how readily it is scratched and blemished. In addition, because stainless... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
High-speed cutting, end-finishing
Tube fabricator Leading Edge Hydraulics, Rockford, Ill., supplies hydraulic tube components to the off-road and construction industry segment. The family business grew rapidly since its decision in 2003 to concentrate on hydraulic tube fabrication, rather than on general-industry tube... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
Fabricator finds tubular niche
Although Illinois is known primarily for its fertile fields and agricultural output, it's home to many manufacturing companies too. John Deere incorporated Deere & Co. in Moline. DaimlerChysler manufactures automobiles in Belvidere. Caterpiller's worldwide headquarters is in Peoria. Where... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Article
October 10, 2006
Luminous aluminum makes light work
Hapco had to design and fabricate aluminum light posts to replicate the art deco, Empire State Building period look of cast-iron poles made 70 years ago as part of a Triborough Bridge renovation project. The paint color had to be custom-blended to resemble cast iron. Special mounting bases... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Lasers loom larger in tube, pipe cutting
In today's manufacturing environment, 2-D lasers are the standard for cutting flat sheets and plate. Nearly everyone is familiar with laser technology's capabilities and speed for 2-D part processing. What may not be as well-known, however, is laser's 3-D capacity for mainstream... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Flushing out four-letter words: rust, dirt, and wear
Figure 1 Several tube and pipe sections and Q-panels that have been coated with different rust preventives are displayed for inspection to gauge the preventives’ effectiveness.
This article is Part I of a multipart series that addresses how to eliminate tube fabricating and... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
A trek in product design change and laser cutting
In Wisconsin farm country, not far from Madison, is the Waterloo headquarters and frame manufacturing plant for TREK bikes. Its 1,000 employees produce about 600 frames a day—300 metal (aluminum, titanium, or steel) and nearly that in carbon fiber. The frames then are sent to... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
Opening the gate to efficiency
Dotting the rolling landscape on U.S. 127 in Kentucky, just south of Danville, are a half-dozen small gate manufacturers. As is typical in many rural areas throughout the nation, most of these shops are small operations where people have learned how to use their skills to contribute to... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Cutting tube saw costs
Today metal tube sawing technology is light-years ahead of where it was just five years ago. A better understanding of the cutting process has led to advancements in sawing machine and saw blade technology that optimize tube cutting. Many tube fabricators are unaware of how the latest... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
Flush out four-letter words — rust, dirt, and wear
A tubular assembly is cleaned in an Alliance Aquamaster CD-3000 rotary-drum cleaning system with wash and heated blowoff. The drum is constructed of stainless steel and includes spiral flights and part "kicker" bars. Photo courtesy of Alliance Manufacturing Inc., Fond du Lac, Wis.... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
When a good tube bends bad - Part II
Editor's note: This is the second part of a two-part article that examines tube bending defects, possible causes, and suggested remedies. Part I discusses surface defects; Part II covers other defects, such as wall thinning, ovality, buckling, and fractures. When the stress on the... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2006
When a good tube bends bad
Editor's note: "When a good tube bends bad" is a two-part article that examines tube bending defects, possible causes, and suggested remedies. Part I discusses surface defects; Part II covers other defects, such as wall thinning, ovality, buckling, and fractures. Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
When a good tube bends bad - Part I
The clamp used to bend this 16-gauge, 3-in.-OD aluminized steel tube slipped about 2 in. at about 75 degrees into the bend. The clamp continued to move forward, but the material did not, causing the slippage marks (horizontal lines) and wrinkles on the intrados. Editor's note:... Read more...
Article
March 7, 2006
Understanding how rotary tube and pipe cutting works
With rotary cutting, a two- or three-disk cutter head revolves around the circumference of a stationary pipe or tube while the cutters close in toward the center. The cutters penetrate only the wall thickness. Rotary pipe cutters are not new to the industry, but innovations and new... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Imagination fabrication
Burke's signature play environment this year is a multievent treehouse designed to look like it is in a natural setting, complete with hollowed tree trunks and leaf climbers.
Founded in 1920, BCI Burke, Fond du Lac, Wis., is the oldest playground and park and recreation... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Fitness equipment manufacturer pumps up
Given the spirited competition in the fitness industry these days, Los Angeles-based Paramount Fitness Corp. can't afford to get the slightest bit out of shape. A leader in the design and manufacture of commercial strength training products turned to laser technology to help keep it in... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2005
Welding zirconium and zirconium alloys
A magnified view of a titanium-zirconium weld joint shows titanium (the multicolored area, left), zirconium (the green and yellow area, right), and a mixture of the two metals (the blue area, center). The intense colors come from polishing the weld interface and anodizing the surface.... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2005
Welding zirconium and zirconium alloys Part III
A magnified view of a titanium-zirconium weld joint shows titanium (the multicolored area, left), zirconium (the green and yellow area, right), and a mixture of the two metals (the blue area, center). The intense colors come from polishing the weld interface and anodizing the surface.... Read more...
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