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More from Tim Heston
- From The Fabricator
Manufacturing Fundamentals first, then improvement
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 10, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Sustaining improvement efforts remains difficult for many shops, but sustaining may not be so difficult with a foundation of good business fundamentals in manufacturing. This includes accurate bills of materials, accurate routings, good inventory control, a documented system for materials planning and procurement, concise business rules, and employee training.
- From The Fabricator
How SWOT and lean go together
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 5, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
A SWOT analysis covers a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. But how do you really define strengths and weaknesses? Much of it can come from data gleaned from a good flow assessment.
- From The Fabricator
Why machine monitoring matters
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
Machine monitoring in real-time is gaining traction in metal fabrication. MTConnect, a machine communication standard, has a toehold in the metal business.
- From The Fabricator
Dutch metal fabrication: About flow
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Bending and Forming
- Article
One theme carried throughout a recent LVD press tour of custom fabricators in Holland: With fast changeover and the ability to access the right information at the right time, even a custom fabricator with the highest product mix can achieve smooth part flow.
- From The Fabricator
Laser weld penetration: What you need to know now
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Laser Welding
- Article
See how inline coherent imaging monitors weld penetration by measuring the distance to the bottom of the keyhole, offering realtime laser weld penetration feedback.
- From The Fabricator
Celebrating the people in manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- Nov 4, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Manufacturing Day celebrates what’s at the heart of the real world of progressive manufacturing. It’s about people talking and working together to make their lives, and the lives of their customers, easier.
- From The Fabricator
How the master-and-apprentice relationship builds a skilled workforce
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 28, 2015
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
New technology allows rookies to start making good parts right away, but that connection with experienced workers still needs to be there.
- From The Fabricator
How managing by valuation is changing Farris Fab
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 26, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Farris Fab has grown to become a $24.5 million enterprise. Within the past year company leaders have started to manage by valuation. They have no intention to sell, but maximizing the value of the company also happens to improve the overall operation.
- From The Fabricator
A new spin on welding
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 19, 2015
- Arc Welding
- Article
SpinArc, a kind of gas metal arc welding, rotates the wire at a controlled speed, diameter, and direction. This feature reportedly improves weld quality and productivity, and it makes more types of weld joints possible.
- From The Fabricator
Freeing space for metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 19, 2015
- Bending and Forming
- Article
In a few years Performance Stamping may well be a very different company. It recently cleared away inventory to free space not for more stamping, but for metal fabrication.
- From The Fabricator
Evolution of the cutting laser: About the diode
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 15, 2015
- Laser Cutting
- Blog Post
Don't blink, or you'll miss the fastest evolving technology in the custom fab shop: the cutting laser.
- From The Fabricator
Small batches, big-time automation
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 15, 2015
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
Rapid-Line Inc., a contract manufacturer in Grand Rapids, Mich., has a long history of early technology adoption. Two years ago it became an early adopter again, this time with an entirely different kind of robot. Regardless of the technology, everyone keeps their eye on what truly matters when it comes to manufacturing efficiency: how long it takes for an order to make it to the shipping dock.
- From The Fabricator
Diversification: The true competitive advantage in metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 15, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
According to recent benchmarking surveys from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, debt ratios remain manageable, EBITDA steady, yet revenue concentration remains high for some. The numbers show areas for opportunity as well as challenges.
- From The Fabricator
How to build loyalty in manufacturing workers? Go off-script
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 15, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Why do employees leave for a few cents more an hour? It goes back to culture—but what is culture, really? Rutland Walker of Atlanta-based The Academy of Marketing gives a relatively concrete explanation. It’s about connecting with employees with a shared purpose or belief.
- From The Fabricator
Wisconsin metal fabricator thrives on complexity
- By Tim Heston
- Oct 12, 2015
- Shop Management
- Article
Advanced Laser Machining Inc. launched in 1996, just when laser cutting was becoming a metal fabrication mainstay and software was changing everything. Today managers are hoping to put a structure in place to grow the company even more. In 10 years ALM may be a $75 million enterprise
- 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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