The FABRICATOR’s most popular content of 2020

Like everything else in 2020, the pandemic has dominated the metal fabrication industry. That includes this year’s most popular content on thefabricator.com. Getty Images

2020 was supposed to be a year of celebration for the metal fabrication industry.

The sector had been riding a few years of exceptional growth, and that was only bolstered by a strong showing at FABTECH 2019 in Chicago, which set an attendance record for the long-running trade show and North America’s largest metal fabricating, forming, welding, and finishing event.

On top of that, The FABRICATOR and Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) were each planning year-long 50th anniversary commemorations.

Then COVID-19 happened. And even before the first confirmed case hit the U.S. in March, the virus was already impacting metal fabrication supply chains in January as it made its way westward from China.

By mid-spring, as cases started to spread stateside, the full economic impact was being felt across the manufacturing industry, changing the course of workflows and forcing shops to rethink business models.

That shift was reflected in our coverage. With COVID-19 dominating every aspect of life, it was impossible to cover the metal fabrication sector without mentioning the coronavirus. Many of our most-read articles and blogs from 2020 were directly related to how the virus impacted shops and how fabricators were doing what they could to survive, even help fight the spread of COVID-19.

Many metal fabrication and forming businesses were considered essential enough to keep operating throughout the pandemic. And even though there were some major downs and learning curves during the first few months, the industry put itself in a position to power through and pivot when needed.

Despite the major pandemic disruption, we continued to honor our 50th anniversary by looking back at the past five decades of the industry, revisiting previous Industry Award winners, and taking a deep dive into the evolution of laser cutting.

Here’s a breakdown of the most-read articles and blogs on thefabricator.com during a turbulent 2020.

Cutting’s Current State series

As part of our 50th anniversary, we took a deep dive look at one of the most important technologies of modern metal fabrication: laser cutting. This four-part series examined the versatility of the machines and shops that adopted the tech early on. Each part is worth a read: Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.

The FABRICATOR began life as a newspaper-style publication in January 1971. Pictured above is the July/August 1973 edition. The reader got the latest in metal fabricating technology news and ink stains on their fingers.

50th anniversary decade-by-decade series

Another standout series from our 50th anniversary. Editor-in-Chief Dan Davis wrote a five-part series looking at the past five decades of the industry, starting with the era that not only launched our publication but one that introduced the industry’s modern age: the 1970s. Davis browsed through dozens upon dozens upon dozens of old issues to examine the evolution of technologies, trends, and processes. Read more about the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.

Manufacturing is facing a wage gap, not a skills gap

Blogger Josh Welton argues the common belief that the fabricating and manufacturing sectors are facing a skills gap is false. He believes the real problem in the industry lies with poor wage growth.

TPJ Business Brief column

Last year, The Tube & Pipe Journal rebranded itself with an updated logo and design. Editor Eric Lundin also introduced new columns (Executive Perspective and Business Brief), where industry leaders were given a platform to offer their manufacturing insights on marketing, R&D tax credits, Industry 4.0, and best practices. Here are a few that stood out:

• Lisa Wertzbaugher: Deploying a digital marketing strategy for manufacturers
• Bill Kelly: Overcoming bottlenecks on either side of Industry 4.0 automation
• Tracy Lustyan & Dean Zerbe: How industry 4.0 transforms modern workplace with R&D tax credit

Still Building America series

The Still Building America series had another amazing year of celebrating diversity in metal fabrication and highlighting up-and-coming folks on the manufacturing scene. We even debuted the first ever video interview edition of the series. Here are three of the most popular posts from the series:

• Saved by combining a love of welding and music
• Third-generation welder keeps her family’s legacy alive
• Health care worker turned metal fabricator

The novel coronavirus and the metal fabrication supply chain

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senior Editor Tim Heston wrote about the importance of metal fabricators remaining flexible as the overall economy and industry supply chains face uncertain times.

An honest conversation about pulse welding

Detroit-based welder and Brown Dog Welding owner Josh Welton offers a detailed assessment about pulse welding.

Stampers, automakers doing their part during COVID-19

STAMPING Journal Editor Kate Bachman covered how automakers and stampers did their part to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies transformed their plants and operations to rush to the rescue of healthcare workers and patients desperate for respirators, beds, transport vehicles, protective masks, and supplies.

Jim’s Cover Pass: How to discuss workplace safety in a fab shop

This actually ran before COVID-19 hit the U.S., but safety is always an important topic, pandemic or no pandemic. Jim Mosman lays out the best topics that a metal fabrication shop should address at its monthly safety meeting.

Steel Market Update coverage

As expected, interest in steelmaking was especially elevated in 2020. The monthly Steel Market Update column from John Packard and Tim Triplett were some of our most-read pieces of content this year; from the first one that addressed the pandemic (Will COVID-19's economic impact weaken steel prices?) to a more recent piece that addressed improving capacity (Have steel prices peaked for the year?). But the most fascinating piece was their history lesson on steel prices during crises.

TOP 5

5. Artist breaking the cycle with welding, scrap metal

The WELDER Editor Amanda Carlson wrote a wonderful profile about Texas metal artist and Instagram influencer Rae Ripple. It covers how Ripple’s hard work, artistic ability with scrap metal, and drive to learn how to weld helped lift her and her family out of some difficult circumstances. Check out our other artist profiles from 2020, like David Madero, Sarah Stork, John Lopez, and Gail Chavenelle.

Rae Ripple of Big Spring, Texas, spent years fighting to break the cycle of toxicity that she grew up in. Art and welding opened doors that as a young adult she never thought were possible. Photo courtesy of Dom B. Photography, Euless, Texas

4. Building a hospital in four weeks during pandemic

As COVID-19 cases began to spread rapidly this past spring, some metal fabricators went to work to help produce respirators, beds, and even temporary hospitals. Dan Davis wrote how, in just four weeks, BMarko Structures, Georgia Trade School, and laid-off welders built a temporary 24-room hospital in Georgia using shipping containers.

3. Light at the end of the COVID-10 tunnel for metal fabricators

In the very early days of the pandemic, when the future was as uncertain as ever, Dan Davis wrote a blog to say how a reset in the fab shop might not be the worst thing. Turns out he was kind of right. The pandemic offered a way for many shops reevaluate their work flows and improve processes.

2. How one metal fabricator stays agile

Bloomington, Minn.,-based Dalsin Industries earned The FABRICATOR’s 2020 Industry Award for its ability to remain successful and evolve as the metal fabrication market has changed. As part of our 50th anniversary, we also revisited some of our previous Industry Award winners, including Seconn Manufacturing, Shickel Corp., GenMet Corp., A&E Custom Mfg., and DeWys Manufacturing.

1. The truth about pipeline welding

In an interview with The WELDER Editor Amanda Carlson, career pipeline welder turned certified welding inspector, Keith Armentrout, discusses the pros, cons, little-known facts, and tricks of the pipeline welding trade.

Life as a pipeline welder was good to Keith Armentrout. Good, but not easy. He made a great living, but spent a lot of time away from home and family in an effort to provide for them. Photo courtesy of Keith Armentrout