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The Fabricator July 2017
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.
What to know about sheet metal bend radius and minimum flange
- By Gerald Davis
- Aug 5, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Columnist Gerald Davis continues a discussion of 3-D CAD and metal manufacturing including sheet metal bend radius and sheet metal flange. Learn more.
Private screening: The tale of an expanding fabrication business
- By Eric Lundin
- Jul 18, 2017
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Since building its first privacy screen in 2013, Aesthetic Metals LLC has expanded its scope to include dining area partitions, sunscreens, outdoor furniture, fire pits and rings, planters, trellises—essentially anything and everything to decorate outdoor living spaces—for commercial and residential customers.
Press brake bending basics: Do we really need more cowbell?
- By Steve Benson
- Jul 17, 2017
- Bending and Forming
- Article
When transitioning from bottoming bending to air bending, consider the material types and thicknesses you’ll be bending, invest in the right tools, and make sure your press brakes are up to the task.
Technology Spotlight: “Democratized” fiber laser lowers ownership entry point
- By Kate Bachman
- Jul 17, 2017
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Fabricators that want to dip theirs toes in the laser cutting machine pool without investing $1 million or so to do so may find what they seek in a new, low-entry-price point fiber laser machine launched at FABTECH with a 40-inch by 74-in. footprint that cuts both sheet metal and tube, cuts on shop air, doesn't need a chiller, and plugs into your 110-watt wall outlet.
9 myths of accounting in manufacturing
- By Tim Heston
- Jul 14, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Many managers, particularly those at large manufacturers, rely on financial metrics to make decisions. Problem is, these metrics are often based on traditional cost accounting, which can provide misleading information.
The lean manufacturing transformation: From chaos to order
- By Jeff Sipes
- Jul 13, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Columnist Jeff Sipes tells the story of Ron, president of the fictional Typical Fabrication Co., and the chaos he experienced before the lean transformation and the order that came after.
How 80/20 rules metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Jul 13, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
The 80/20 rule helps fabricators focus on the impactful 20 percent of their business. Like anything else in high-product-mix manufacturing, implementing 80/20 isn’t always straightforward. But when it’s working, trust and enjoyment abound among both co-workers and customers.
Stick welding basics: How to stick weld
- By Michael Allen and Nathan Lott
- Jul 12, 2017
- Arc Welding
- Article
Stick welding, or SMAW, has been around over 100 years and plays an important role in manufacturing. Here's what you need to know about stick welding basics.
Custom fabrication: Right information, right technology, right time
- By Tim Heston
- Jul 12, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
SAF Metal Fabrication is part of Southern Aluminum Finishing, a distributor of aluminum extrusions and sheet metal, an architectural metal fabricator, and metal finisher all rolled into one. Holding it all together is smart information management.
Staying safe in tight spaces
Elgin Sweeper Co. manufactures a lot of street sweeping vehicles in its 200,000-sq.-ft. facility in Elgin, Ill. Being a veteran organization well-versed in 5S and good safety practices helps to keep the workforce safe despite the rapid manufacturing action that takes place on a daily basis.
Welding automation gets heavy
- Jul 3, 2017
- Automation and Robotics
- Article
Implementing well-thought-out welding automation for heavy welding requires careful consideration. Accounting for process variation is key so learn more here.
Optimal air quality results from solid planning
Designing an effective air quality system doesn’t have to be trial and error. To get the best results and avoid costly mistakes, you would do well to spend sufficient time evaluating and planning.
The difference fiber lasers make on the shop floor
- By Dan Davis
- Jun 28, 2017
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Article
Robbins Mfg. Inc., Fall River, Wis., has long made investments in fabricating technology to stay ahead of the competition, and it recently replaced some of its CO2 technology with the latest in fiber laser cutting technology.
Press brake forming insights: The return flange goes deep
- By Frank Baeumler and Larry Boden
- Jun 28, 2017
- Bending and Forming
- Article
The deep return flange: How do you define it, how is it used, and how do you form one? Part geometries like the deep return flange present forming challenges best overcome with close collaboration among the part designer, manufacturer, and press brake operator.
A metal fabrication shop culture of opportunity
- By Tim Heston
- Jun 28, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Carey Mfg. Inc., a hardware manufacturer in New England, has some of the latest pieces of equipment in sheet metal fabrication, and everyone who operates them, many of them women, are in their early 20s.
- 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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