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The Fabricator April 2014
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.
Asking all the right questions
- By Eric Lundin
- Apr 21, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Texas is known for two or three commodities, namely cattle, oil, and barbecue, but the state has plenty of manufacturing, too. It’s a good environment for a fabricator and an entrepreneur with the imagination to come up with new products and build prototypes, regardless of the industry or market. Devin Gerland, found of JackRabbit Manufacturing, is one such entrepreneur.
Wind energy meets the sail
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 21, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Metal fabricator Pete Agtuca launched a product several years ago, but it failed to gain acceptance in the marketplace. He now has his second wind. He’s applying the science behind that failed product—generator technology that can generate electricity at low rotations per minute—to wind power generation.
MVEs: More valuable employees
- By Dan Davis
- Apr 18, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Drew Greenblatt firmly believes that Marlin Steel, Baltimore, is only as successful as the talented crew that works on the shop floor. That's why the company's management team has created a Skills Matrix, ensuring that the shop always has someone who can stand in and perform the job of someone else.
80/20 homework
- By Dick Kallage
- Apr 16, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Before a company looks to increase its inventory buffer as a step to improve on-time delivery, a shop should exhaust less expensive options first. These homework assignments may help fabricators explore those options.
Shop technology and 3-D CAD: Product visualization
- By Gerald Davis
- Apr 16, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Columnist Gerald Davis walks the reader through a hypothetical production development design exercise to show just how different product development CAD work is from production-ready CAD assignments.
A growing pie for the next generation
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 15, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
How can fabricators attract the best and brightest? According to speakers at The FABRICATOR's Leadership Summit, held earlier this year in Austin, Texas, it's about growing the business through progressive management and open communication.
Quality assurance gets an upgrade at Eaton Fabricating
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 14, 2014
- Testing and Measuring
- Article
Eaton Fabricating Co. Inc., Grafton, Ohio, revamped its front office and shop floor operation to ensure parts emerge from machines right the first time. The key is that management gives operators time to perform quality assurance checks at every stage in manufacturing.
Life with a fiber laser
- By Dan Davis
- Apr 7, 2014
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Accrotool Inc., New Kensington, Pa., had a 1,500-W laser cutting machine from 2001 that needed to be replaced. A fiber laser was deemed the perfect choice for the shop’s cutting chores. However, to be successful, the company’s management discovered that a new mindset was needed to accompany the new technology.
A foundation for 5S
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 7, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Macksteel Warehouse, a service center and job shop serving area OEMs, has undergone significant transformations in recent years, including the way employees sweep the floor.
Automating an abrasive process
- By Robert J. McNamee
- Apr 3, 2014
- Finishing
- Article
Automating a manual operation can pose several unique difficulties, based on the incoming workpiece and its finish and geometric requirements, but the benefits of reduced costs and increased safety for operators may be worth it.
Laser cutting on the level
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 3, 2014
- Laser Cutting
- Article
A laser cutting machine doesn’t care how hard or soft a metal is, but the material’s flatness matters immensely. That’s why so many service centers are investing in leveling processes that aim to equalize stresses, ensuring sheet metal stays flat after being cut.
The next level of air bending
- By Wim Serruys
- Apr 3, 2014
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Air bending is the most common way for bending sheet metal. Learn about adaptive forming, a form of air bending, from Sheet Metalworking: State of the Art.
Apprenticeship, North Carolina-style
- By Tim Heston
- Mar 31, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Max Daetwyler Corp., a Huntersville, N.C.-based contract manufacturer, has evolved significantly to serve the changing business needs in the custom machinery arena. Its approach to employee skill development has evolved as well, with a growing regional partnership founded on the concepts behind European-style apprenticeships.
- 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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