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The Fabricator May 2018
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.
Press brake bending tips for forming tapered bends and determining minimum flange lengths
- May 9, 2018
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Press brake guru Steve Benson answers a question about tapered bends and minimum flange lengths.
A 3-D CAD modeling case study: What the prototype reveals
- By Gerald Davis
- May 8, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
In this retelling of a design-for-manufacturing exercise, columnist Gerald Davis shows that industrial design sometimes only gets you so far.
Finite capacity scheduling evolves for the job shop
- By Charles Murgiano
- May 8, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
When it comes to scheduling, a fabricator doesn’t have infinite capacity. Nor do average lead times reflect the actual time it takes to ship an order on a specific day. No wonder so many jobs are late. Software technology, combined with smart lean practices, can help.
Lean manufacturing: Where to start?
- By Jeff Sipes
- May 7, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
A fabricator overcomes one of the greatest challenges of any continuous improvement program: how to start. It involves analysis, mapping, and developing operating principles to go by, including clarity and cleanliness.
Harnessing staff tension at the custom metal fabricator
- By Tim Heston
- May 7, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Attendees at the FMA Annual Meeting discovered how tension between employees isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s what drives a company forward
The FABRICATOR’s Leadership Summit report: Metal fabricators plan for growth
- By Tim Heston
- May 6, 2018
- Shop Management
- Article
Metal fabrication is already a complex animal, and it becomes even more so as shops navigate various external forces, from tariffs to customer consolidations. In March, shop executives gathered at the FMA Annual Meeting to talk about ways to turn these challenges into opportunities for growth.
3 angles on press brake training: Part II
- By Kate Bachman and Rob Colman
- May 6, 2018
- Machining
- Article
Editor’s Note: This article is the second of three in a series about different approaches to press brake training. Part I, which was published in the April issue, highlights training in a classroom environment; Part II explores training on-site; Part III, which will be published in the July...
Automation energizes structural steel fab operation
- By Dan Davis
- May 5, 2018
- Plasma Cutting
- Article
Paul Stehl knew investing in an automated steel beam processing line would be a way to separate his company from competitors. He didn't know that such a purchase would have as large of an impact that it has had on his company.
U-Haul ramps up metal fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- May 5, 2018
- Laser Cutting
- Article
U-Haul’s highly automated metal fabrication operation in Arizona looks nothing like it did just a few years ago.
Welding positioners increase throughput while improving quality, safety
- By Kevin Toft
- May 4, 2018
- Arc Welding
- Article
Metal fabricators can save labor hours and costs, accelerate production, improve worker endurance and safety, and improve weld quality on large weldments using positioners.
The business case for pursuing tube
- By Tim Heston
- May 4, 2018
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Some precision sheet metal operations are pursuing a one-stop-shop strategy that includes tube fabrication. Any new venture involves risks, but with the right approach to tube, a fabricator can reap the rewards.
Simplifying the hardware insertion process
- By Dan Davis
- May 3, 2018
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
Graphically documenting work instructions simplifies hardware insertion
Stage bending boosts press brake productivity
- By Steve Brown
- May 3, 2018
- Bending and Forming
- Article
To gain efficiencies for complex jobs, fabricators turn to staged bending. Multiple tool sets are arranged next to each other across the press brake bed, allowing an operator to run a complex part, or a series of different parts, all in one setup.
What is high-precision plasma cutting, exactly?
- By Dirk Ott
- May 2, 2018
- Plasma Cutting
- Article
Plasma cutting technology has evolved into a high-precision and productive tool for the fabricator’s shop floor.
- 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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