FABTECH 2017—Day 3

The breakfast featured a presentation by economic analyst Chris Kuehl, who began by saying, “It’s been an interesting year—by and large, a good year.”

Kuehl noted that exports represent 15 percent of the U.S. GDP and what we export is overwhelmingly machinery. Of the top 10 exports, machinery comprises eight; the other two are food. We sell a great deal to “countries just like us,” and the last several years, we did not see the demand for Europe we needed to see. The economies of Germany, France, and Great Britain turned in a positive direction in the middle of this year, which bodes well for exports in 2018.

“Japan will have the best year it’s had in a couple of decades, and China’s economy is recovering. “We don’t sell much to China, but we sell to countries that supply it.”

Kuehl had more to say about the global economy and political relations before moving on to a discussion of productivity, which now is a “technology thing.” Productivity also requires a labor force, and there is no pipeline for skilled workers. Interesting fact: Last year, the U.S. graduated 23,000 people with degrees in pottery. “One or two will be successful sculptors. The rest will have to marry well.”

Discussing the financial markets, corporate tax cuts, and interest rates, Kuehl said, “If you’re thinking of buying a machine and need financing, buy it now.”

My next stop of the day was at Walter Surface Technologies. Exhibitors and attendees who took the shuttle buses to FABTECH could not have missed the bright orange 2018 Mustang GT Fastback on display. This vehicle is the prize in a contest sponsored by the company that ends Nov. 15. For details, log on to walter.com/flexsteelcontest.

In the Walter booth, I watched demonstrations of the company’s SURFOX™ 305 MIG and TIG weld cleaning system on stainless steel, the Ice Cut 200 drilling machine with a built-in lubrication system. Both were introduced at the show. Also of interest were the handy drill bit kits that keep bits organized and the container hooks on to waste bands for easy portability.

One of my most interesting visits on this was to the MJC booth, which also featured Green Hydraulic Power (GHP). MJC specializes on metal spinning equipment for industries such as aerospace and automotive. The company’s machines spun the fuel tanks for SpaceX and make aftermarket products for Meritor, where machines in Franklin, Tenn., scan a part number and then execute the appropriate production process.

MJC is working on developing work cells that incorporate spinning.

Mustang GT Fastback to be given away in the Walter Surface Technologies contest that ends Nov. 15.

This was the first time GHP has exhibited at FABTECH. The company is a developer and provider of a new plug-and-play, energy-saving, variable speed drive that runs puts out around 65 decibels as compared to traditional drives that create 80 to 85 decibels. I sat next to the machine in the booth and could barely hear it as it was running at 1,000 PSI. It was super quiet. It also produces less heat, so that cooling might not be necessary.

Southern Cal Edison is doing a test at SCI Worthington in Pomona, Calif., in which a part will be run on identical metalspinning machines, one with a standard hydraulic manifold and one with a GHP unit featuring variable speed drive and servo pump. The energy savings should be substantial.

Finally, my FABTECH day ended with the annual FMAC Meet the Editors event in which exhibitors and attendees have the opportunity to chat with the editors of all of the organization’s publications: The FABRICATOR®, STAMPING Journal®, The Tube & Pipe Journal®, The WELDER, Canadian Fabricating & Welding, and Canadian METALWORKING. Among those who attended were three people from a relatively new company that decided to exhibit at the show one week before it opened. Needless to say, they didn’t have much of a display or a good booth location, but they were beyond enthusiastic about being at the show, networking, and getting the word out about their offering. The name of the company is Industrial Intelligence, and its mission is to take Industry 4.0 and the IIoT to the next level. That’s the nature of the fabricating industry—always evolving.

If you are planning to attend FABTECH 2018 in Atlanta and would like to attend the Economic Forecast Breakfast and/or the Meet the Editors event, just let me know, and I’ll see that you receive an invitation.

Slide Show | 5 Images