- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Our Publications
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Articles - Page 202
- From The Fabricator
Head and optics innovations key to laser cutting growth
- By Dru Schwartz
- Apr 4, 2016
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Today a fiber laser can cut both thick and thin material efficiently and with good edge quality. Key advances in laser optics and cutting head design have helped make this possible.
- From The Fabricator
Ask the Stamping Expert: Is there a check list for setting progressive dies?
- By Dennis Cattell
- Apr 1, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Q: We are new to die setting. Do you have a check list that could help us with different progressive dies? Can you recommend any literature on the subject? A: First, I do not know of any comprehensive literature. Most literature tends to focus on an individual subject rather than cover the overall...
- From The Fabricator
Ask the Stamping Expert: How can we achieve fast punch changeout halfway through a run?
- By Thomas Vacca
- Apr 1, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Q: I’m a diemaker for a Detroit Three automaker. We have a job on which we have to change punches halfway through the run. Changing the punches is a lengthy operation and involves quite a bit of downtime. Does anyone in the industry make an automatic or semiautomatic punch removal system that we...
- From The Fabricator
Ask the Stamping Expert: How can I reduce snap-through condition effects?
- By Dennis Cattell
- Mar 31, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
In the May/June 2012 “Ask the Expert” column, you discussed the causes of the large vibrational energy wave that must be dissipated by the press structure beyond the shear loads. Is there any way to reduce the vibration? A: Many lamination and blanking dies incorporate moveable stripper...
- From The Fabricator
Ask the Stamping Expert: Why do press and die problems occur at lower-than-capacity press speeds?
- By Dennis Cattell
- Mar 31, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Q: To improve efficiency and reduce cost in our newly acquired high-speed blanking operation, we have increased press speeds from 225 SPM to 450 SPM. After several successful months, we are experiencing a high number of new press and die problems. The presses are capable of speeds higher than 500...
- From The Fabricator
How one fabricator maintains quality in bending
- By Dan Davis
- Mar 31, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
DeWys Manufacturing, Marne, Mich., used to rely on quality personnel running all over the plant to check parts, but that caused downtime as people waited for the quality check. As the company explored lean manufacturing and refined its training process, it sought to make quality the job of everyone, not just a select few. The results of this thinking are particularly evident in the press brake department.
- From The Fabricator
How fabricators manage machining
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 31, 2016
- Machining
- Article
These days certain custom fabrication operations have in-house machining capabilities. How these capabilities are managed depends on a company’s location, access to talent, and customer demands. The FABRICATOR talked with managers at two custom fabricators, each of which takes a distinct approach to managing its machining operations.
- From The Fabricator
Ask the Stamping Expert: Can I pierce material in a progressive die in the opposite direction?
- By Thomas Vacca
- Mar 31, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Q: Do you have much experience with piercing material in the opposite direction than usual in a progressive die? In other words, the slug goes through the punch shoe.A: Yes. This is very doable and not uncommon. I assume you need to do this because the piercing direction is a part-functional...
- From The Fabricator
What brings youth to the sheet metal business?
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 31, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
How can a fab shop bring talented youth into the fold? Two members of FMA’s Young Professionals’ Council tell what sparked their interest--and it isn’t what you might expect.
- From The Fabricator
Welding for oil: This bust shall pass
- By Gerry Timms
- Mar 30, 2016
- Arc Welding
- Article
Odessa, Texas, has changed. In 2014 traffic was a nightmare; now, not so much. At the heart of the Permian Basin, Odessa is feeling the brunt of the oil and gas bust.
- From The Fabricator
Ask the Stamping Expert: How do I hold washers in the strip in a compound die?
- By Thomas Vacca
- Mar 30, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Q: Do you have suggestions for holding washers in the strip in a compound die? High-strength, low-alloy material properties change from heat to heat, periodically causing parts to drop out of the strip. For this reason, we blank up and use a knockout bar to eject the parts. A: Two significant...
- From The Fabricator
The next generation of portable beveling
- By Rohan B. Raut
- Mar 30, 2016
- Power Tools
- Article
Weld prep is an unheralded but necessary activity for those working with heavy plate. Portable beveling technology has emerged that may make life a little easier for the fabricator looking to deliver high-quality weld joints.
- From The Fabricator
Fabricating a mobile lounge
- By Dan Davis
- Mar 30, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
Gorilla Fabrication in South Carolina has made a name for itself in fabricating food trucks. A request for a mobile bar, however, forced it to expand its building skills.
The industry shifts gears
- By Eric Lundin
- Mar 29, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
The recent drop in the crude oil price has taken much of the attention off of the energy industry, and automotive has pulled ahead. The article contains quite a bit of information on the latest research into alloys for the automotive industry, specifically from three Tube® Düsseldorf exhibitors.
- From The Welder
Consumables Corner: Understanding welding heat input and its effects on base materials
- By Nino Mascalco, Rob Koltz, and Steve Sigler
- Mar 28, 2016
- Consumables
- Article
What guidelines should a job shop follow in regards to heat input if there is no welding procedure to fall back on? The Consumables Corner team has the answer.
subscribe now
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.
start your free subscription- 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...
- Industry Events
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI
- Upcoming Webcasts
Nitrogen Generation for Laser Cutting: Navigating System Design for YOUR Operation
- April 24, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: Purity Gas
Navigating Change: The Manufacturer’s Guide to Change Management with ERP Implementation
- May 16, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: ECI Software Solutions, M1