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The Fabricator April 2017
The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
Metal made wild
- By Rob Colman
- Apr 5, 2017
- Arc Welding
- Article
For the past six years, Rich Baker has continuously developed his skills as a sheet metal sculptor, creating vivid 3-D representations of everything from people to peregrines. Richcraft Ironworks has drawn customers from around the world, thanks to Baker’s attention to detail.
Technology Spotlight: The next generation of plasma cutting technology
- By Dan Davis
- Apr 5, 2017
- Plasma Cutting
- Article
It’s been more than a decade since Hypertherm’s HPR plasma cutting platform hit the fabricating market. At the time it represented quite the leap in cutting performance and cost-effectiveness. Company officials believe that they have accomplished the same sort of leap forward with the new XPR300 plasma power supply.
Press brake gauging conundrum: Just pin it
- By Steve Benson
- Apr 5, 2017
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Forming a complex part requires creative thinking, and not only about how to gauge each bend. Every part has some error to account for slight variances in material thickness, bend deduction calculations, and more. The challenge lies in making sure the error is absorbed by a noncritical dimension.
Shop technology and 3-D CAD: Translating design goals into CAD techniques
- By Gerald Davis
- Apr 5, 2017
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Columnist Gerald Davis discusses a design process involving sheet metal, welding, use of off-the-shelf parts, and simulation of fluid level. He also highlights the use of the Contour Select tool in multibody modeling.
The ultimate goal of Industry 4.0
- Apr 5, 2017
- Manufacturing Software
- Article
Industry 4.0 will change everything, but it won’t take center stage. Data collection and interpretation will occur automatically, in the background, and people on the floor will spend less time recording data and more time actually fabricating parts.
The state of custom metal fabrication: How’s business?
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 5, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
According to sentiment from The FABRICATOR’s Leadership Summit in March, business is good, though familiar challenges remain. The collective sentiment seemed to be, “Business is great, but how can we keep up with it all?” That’s not a bad problem to have.
Role changes in a lean transformation
- By Jeff Sipes
- Apr 4, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Columnist Jeff Sipes walks you through a hypothetical lean transformation at a hypothetical fabricator, all through the eyes of the production manager.
Abrasive belt tensioning: Overlooked and under-addressed
- By Douglas Jensen
- Mar 30, 2017
- Finishing
- Article
Tensioning an abrasive belt properly will help improve quality, productivity, and abrasive life. And knowing when a belt isn’t tensioned properly is half the battle.
Redefining the hitch business
- By Dan Davis
- Mar 30, 2017
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Making trailer hitches doesn't sound like the most exciting corner of the manufacturing world, but you would be wrong to think that. Global competition and the need to be first to market make successful product development of the utmost importance. B&W Trailer Hitches, Humboldt, Kan., found a secret weapon in this battle in its new laser tube cutting machine.
A metal fabricator and the art of the (small) deal
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 30, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Decimal Engineering, a $12 million fabricator in south Florida, has made seven acquisitions since 1998. These aren’t the kind of deals that make the pages of The Wall Street Journal. But in an industry of very small shops, these under-the-radar deals have given Decimal serious opportunities for growth.
4 machine safeguarding myths debunked
Are new machines always safe? Are old machines exempt from safety standards? Are automation cells always properly safeguarded? And are OSHA regulations only guidelines? No, no, no, and no.
Sinking deep into metal manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 29, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
In a pinch, a custom sink designer launches a full-blown fab shop within weeks, and ends up with some of the most talented sheet metal workers in the local market.
How robots are changing heavy fabrication
- By Chris Poole and Dan Alexander
- Mar 29, 2017
- Materials Handling
- Article
Robots have had a longtime presence in precision sheet metal fab shops, but not so much in companies that worked with structural steel or heavy plate. That's changing, however, because today's automation holds great potential to change the dynamic of heavy fabrication work.
Keeping error-proofing sensors working in harsh welding environments
- By Dave Bird
- Mar 29, 2017
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
Problems related to sensored error-proofing systems encountered during automated welding usually can be attributed to weld spatter, connectivity damage, heat, electrical noise, or physical contact or impact. Selecting the right sensor for each specific cell function, location by location, and environment is paramount. In addition, some everyday, off-the-shelf, application-specific devices can help protect photoelectric and proximity sensors
The many ways that ATECH-SEH keeps earning customers’ respect
- By Dan Davis
- Mar 27, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
ATECH-SEH Metal Fabricators, Buffalo, N.Y., has invested in new equipment and scrutinized its own design and production operations so that it can maintain consistently high customer satisfaction scores.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
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