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Articles - Page 283
- From The Fabricator
Sensing changes in automated welding
- By Andrew Short and Stephen Thacker
- Sep 7, 2012
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
Can automated welding be a useful tool in the random world of fabricating, where material make-up is inconsistent and weld-prep results in non-aligned edges? With a vision system, automated welding indeed can be the right tool for the right application.
- From The Fabricator
The financial benchmark for metal fabricators: Survival of the fastest
- By Tim Heston
- Sep 7, 2012
- Shop Management
- Article
The results are in from FMA's 2012 Financial Ratios & Operational Benchmarking Survey and the message is clear: Raw material and work-in-process inventory eats cash. Successful fabricating shops have figured out a way to avoid excess inventory scenarios.
- From The Fabricator
Balancing sales forecasts with reality
- By Bob Geiss
- Sep 7, 2012
- Shop Management
- Article
How can a fab shop use customers' sales forecasts effectively for in-house production planning, but at the same time not rely on them too much? It's a balancing act, but if done effectively, it can prove to be highly beneficial for a fabricator.
- From The Fabricator
3-D CAD: Setting up a costing tool
- By Gerald Davis
- Sep 7, 2012
- Shop Management
- Article
Cost analysis within 3-D modeling software won't replace cost estimating, but it still can be a helpful tool.
- From The Fabricator
Combination bender eliminates multiple setups, welding, grinding
- By Eric Lundin
- Sep 7, 2012
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
SF Tube Inc., a fabricator that does a substantial amount of bending, found itself facing a perfect storm—it had quite a bit of manual equipment, it often had to use two or three benders to make a single component, its bend-splice-weld-grind-polish-blend process for many components was too time-consuming, its shop floor was crowded with machines, and its niche as a specialty bending house meant it was positioned for future growth. A new bender, one that provides both rotary bending and roll bending, eliminated these hassles and has positioned the company to take advantage of growth opportunities.
How do welding emissions fit into your emissions inventory?
- By Darryl Hitch and Stephanie Hitch
- Sep 7, 2012
- Shop Management
- Article
Most EPA inspectors used to pay scant attention to welding fumes; these days they warrant much more attention. Regrettably the EPA relies on AP-42, a document that is thorough in some areas but not too detailed in welding processes. This means an overly zealous inspector might rate your facility as emitting more than it really does, forcing you to implement expensive and unnecessary controls
- From The Fabricator
Rolling, rolling, and rolling complex profiles
- By Sue Roberts
- Sep 3, 2012
- Roll Forming
- Article
Commercial Roll Formed Products uses a 60-station, modular Dreistern roll forming line to produce highly complex profiles. A focus on producing custom parts has helped the Canadian family-run business grow to include over 30 roll form lines.
Tube producer beats the heat with portable cooling units
- Sep 3, 2012
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Article
Many industrial processes generate quite a bit of heat, so keeping workers cool is a top priority. Wheatland Tube Co., Wheatland, Pa., added portable cooling units to lower the temperatures in its galvanizing and cutting areas. This initiative increased the time workers spend in these areas and eliminated heat-related incidents.
- From The Fabricator
Bending basics: Dissecting bend deductions and die openings
- By Steve Benson
- Sep 3, 2012
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Changing the die opening can dramatically change results during air forming. In precision sheet metal fabrication, choosing the correct die opening should not be a guessing game.
- From The Fabricator
From the farm to oilfields, mines, heavy equipment, and more
- By Tim Heston
- Sep 3, 2012
- Shop Management
- Article
Radius Steel-SOO Tractor, Sioux City, Iowa, is looking beyond its agricultural roots as it reaches out to various other industries, such as heavy equipment and oil and gas.
- From The Fabricator
Quick die change, quicker lubricant changeout
- By Troy Turnbull
- Sep 3, 2012
- Bending and Forming
- Article
When developing a lubrication strategy for QDC, companies should never consider a component in isolation. Instead, shops should ensure that various elements--including lubricant dilution, nozzle placement, quick-change devices, and intelligent process control--work in concert to prevent errors and shorten press setups.
The ins and outs of recutting tube
- By Eric Lundin
- Sep 3, 2012
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
A bit about cutting tube and pipe from an interview with Bruce Benedict and Dave Clarke of Production Tube Cutting.
- From The Fabricator
Developing a servo press knowledge base
- By Tim Heston
- Aug 31, 2012
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Since Qualtek Manufacturing invested in its servo presses several years ago, it has been gradually building up a working knowledge base--specific stroke recipes, tooling tweaks, and other information--that has turned out to be valuable intellectual property.
- From The Fabricator
A fabricating home run
- By Amanda Carlson
- Aug 30, 2012
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
Kohler High School’s Engineering Club captured the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers, the MLB Network, and thousands of others with its Miller Park replica grill.
- From The Fabricator
Abrasive waterjets move into 3-D shapes, including pipe intersections
- By Dr. John H. Olsen
- Aug 21, 2012
- Waterjet Cutting
- Article
Used for many years to cut 2-D parts, abrasive waterjet technology has evolved into cutting complex 3-D shapes, including pipe intersections and saddles. Accessories and control software that make this possible can be retrofitted to existing systems.
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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.
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- 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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