- 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
More from The Fabricator
Tube drawing principles
- By Laurence Shaheen
- Mar 13, 2007
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Article
Five tube drawing methods are sinking, rod drawing, floating plug drawing, tethered plug drawing, and fixed plug drawing. Choosing the right method or combination of methods for a particular application requires understanding the characteristics of each. Tube producers also have a choice of feedstock: seamless or welded tube. Likewise, choosing the right one is a matter of understanding the differences.
- From The Fabricator
An exception to the industry rule
- Mar 13, 2007
- Shop Management
- Article
IRMCO, a 93-year-old manufacturer of environmentally friendly lubricant technologies for the metal forming industry, is not only surviving but thriving in an industry that's facing tough times with plant closures, downsizing, and fierce foreign competition.
- From The Fabricator
The adult learner: Training your labor force
- By Phil Evans
- Mar 13, 2007
- Shop Management
- Article
Training programs enhance worker skills, encourage employee/employer loyalty, and help reduce employee turnover. This article defines what is important to an adult learner, describes the different types of adult learners, and details the components of an effective training program. It also discusses trainer requisites.
- From The Fabricator
Improving manual plasma cutting quality
- By Don Keddell
- Mar 13, 2007
- Plasma Cutting
- Article
Some tips and suggestions for best practices that will increase your efficiency and precision and prolong the life of your plasma cutter and consumables include: Take the time to read the manual thoroughly; develop a "preflight routine" visually follow the arc that is coming from the bottom of the cutâthe arc should exit the material at a 15- to 20-degree angle opposite the direction of travel; and maintain a 1/16- to 1/8-inch distance between the tip and the workpiece.
- From The Fabricator
Air cutting revisited
- By Erin Chasse and Mickey Lawson
- Mar 13, 2007
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Fabricators are increasingly using compressed air in laser cutting, instead of relying on laser assist gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. Recent findings reveal that shop air can be used on more material types and thicknesses, including parts on which the edge quality is visible.
- From The Fabricator
Easing the grind of cost reduction
In early 2005 SPX CONTECH decided to evaluate the abrasive disks used in its 22 workcells for aluminum grinding in its Auburn, Ind., facility. By the end of the year the new disks had increased the number of parts processed and exhibited improved life per disk.
- From The Fabricator
Flexible automation of laser cutting, material handling
- By Elizabeth Kautzmann
- Mar 13, 2007
- Laser Cutting
- Article
What's the point in purchasing an expensive laser cutting machine if you are going to waste money-making opportunities by unloading parts manually? Good nesting software, proper maintenance, and the latest unloading technology can help to make automated laser cutting and unloading a reality.
Reducing tube bending cycle times
- By Sabine Neff
- Mar 13, 2007
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Because any multiple-step manufacturing process is only as fast as the slowest machine, fabricators interested in purchasing an automated tube bender might suddenly find his production line saddled with bottlenecks. It's necessary to analyze the entire production line and learn about the equipment that is available before automating the bending process.
The ABCs of PAC
- By W.F. Garth Stapon, Randy Damas, and Bob Einfeldt
- Mar 13, 2007
- Plasma Cutting
- Article
Plasma arc cutting systems come in many capabilities. Knowing what those capabilities are and which ones you need for your operation is crucial when choosing a system.
- From The Fabricator
Bending the new breeds of high-strength steel
- By David Bishop
- Mar 13, 2007
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Several new breeds of high strength steels have arrived that bring with them a host of new opportunities. However, these new breeds also bring with them special challenges not common to bending mild steel, and with them, the need for new tools and new rules for proper bending.
- From The Welder
Up with energy prices and wind towers
- By Sue DiBianca
- Mar 13, 2007
- Arc Welding
- Article
With the recent increases in gasoline and natural gas prices, more attention than ever is focused on alternative energy sources. One fabricator, Aerisyn LLC, investigated manufacturing towers for use in the wind power industry. To produce towers efficiently enough to compete against imports from Asia, Aerisyn relied on an equipment vendor that had experience in demanding fields such as aerospace, nuclear, and wind power.
- From The Welder
Grainger donation to aid welder training
- Mar 12, 2007
- Aluminum Welding
- News Release
Grainger, a national supplier of facilities maintenance supplies to businesses, has donated $5,000 to the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology (HIWT), Troy, Ohio. The contribution will be used to help the program purchase equipment for its classrooms and learning labs. "Grainger has a long...
- From The Fabricator
Fortunenames Alcan most admired metals company
- Mar 8, 2007
- Metals/Materials
- News Release
Alcan has been named the industry champion for metals on Fortune Magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" list in 2007, and is the only Canadian company to be included on the rankings. In terms of social responsibility, the company ranked fifth out of the more than 1,000 largest U.S. companies...
- From The Fabricator
Toyota to build SUV plant in Mississippi
- Feb 28, 2007
- Assembly and Joining
- News Release
Toyota Motor Corp. has announced plans to build a new sport-utility vehicle plant dedicated to Highlander production in Blue Springs, Miss., just outside Tupelo. The 1,700-acre plant, the company's fifth assembly plant in the U.S., will create about 2,000 jobs. Scheduled to begin production by...
- From The Fabricator
HRB spot steel prices move up dramatically
- Feb 28, 2007
- Metals/Materials
- News Release
SteelBenchmarker™reported that the U.S. hot-rolled band (HRB) spot price for Feb. 26 jumped 2.9 percent to $597 per ton, FOB the mill for the second consecutive rise. The world export HRB price soared 5.0 percent to $562 per ton, FOB the port of export, for the fifth consecutive rise. The...
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:
- 05/14/2024
- Running Time:
- 62:12
Cameron Adams of Laser Precision, a contract metal fabricator in the Chicago area, joins the podcast to talk...
- Trending Articles
What software automation means for custom fabrication
Why employee-owned companies make sense in manufacturing
Nucor’s weekly steel price announcement continues to rattle markets
Building a successful welding program from the ground up
Press brakes, panel benders, and flat blank calculations
- Industry Events
Laser Welding Certificate Course
- May 7 - August 6, 2024
- Farmington Hills, IL
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI
Precision Press Brake Certificate Course
- July 31 - August 1, 2024
- Elgin,
- Upcoming Webcasts
Managing Dangerous Dusts from Metalworking
- June 26, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: Camfil Air Pollution Control