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The Fabricator May 2016
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.
Industrial dust collection goes modular
- By Tim Heston
- May 24, 2016
- Safety
- Article
Large-scale dust and fume collection can be somewhat inflexible. A fabricator moving, adding, or removing a few work centers can throw off the airflow balance and make the entire system less effective. A new technology aims to change this.
Don't lose track of the latest design updates
- By Dan Davis
- May 23, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
The goal of forward-thinking fabrication shops is to be closely involved in a customer's supply chain, where perhaps it participates in part designs and design for manufacturability activities. If a shop is to be an active supply chain partner, it needs to be able to stay on top of engineering change orders and part design discussion. Cloud-based product life cycle management software can help.
Continuous improvement: Do you have a handle on flow
- By Jeff Sipes
- May 23, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
Manufacturing is all about flow, both of physical products and information. You can plan for good flow. But if you let it evolve on its own, you will be dealing with the waste and efficiency that evolution creates.
Can this product be made?
- By Tim Heston
- May 23, 2016
- Manufacturing Software
- Article
Waiting for a callback to discuss a major design change is one thing; but waiting hours just to see if a hole can be moved a little farther from the bend radius—that’s something else. One industry project, iFAB, aims to make design for manufacturability far more efficient.
Shop technology and 3-D CAD: Comparison of two animation tools for creating walk-through tours
- By Gerald Davis
- May 23, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
Columnist Gerald Davis reviews methods for creating walk-through animations. The use of a camera following a path is discussed.
Applications: Electric press brakes set the pace for lighting products manufacturer
- May 23, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Situation: Kenall Mfg. is a manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting products for challenging environments. In late 2014 the company moved its production and office operations from Gurnee, Ill., to Kenosha, Wis., while also reducing its fabrication operation from three shifts to two....
Moving beyond the traditional coordinate measuring machine
- By Dr. Jan Antonis
- May 12, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
Coordinate measuring using robust camera technology means that fabricators may no longer have to construct jigs or learn programming software to conduct quality checks of parts.
5 steps to lean assembly in the job shop
- By Anthony Manos
- May 9, 2016
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
Many think cellular assembly isn’t applicable to the job shop, but in fact, creating cells in custom manufacturing is nothing new. For shops that carefully identify product or process families, cellular assembly can help increase throughput dramatically.
Which press brake is best?
- By Steve Benson
- May 9, 2016
- Bending and Forming
- Article
No press brake is best for every application, but you can find a press brake that’s best for you. To find that press brake, you need to match what’s available—hydraulic, hybrid, electric, mechanical, and other styles, along with the tooling—with what your operation needs.
Metal fabrication on the move
- By Tim Heston
- May 9, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
Koester Metals Inc. conquered its growing pains after the recession. It moved to a new facility to follow demand, improved and formalized training, and invested in new technology.
Salesman turns entrepreneur, artist, welder
- By Eric Lundin
- May 9, 2016
- Arc Welding
- Article
Working for a steady paycheck isn’t for everyone. Welding artist Kirk Yazel did that for nearly 20 years, but eventually his entrepreneurial spirit took over. He had been making steel garden decorations for some time, and he managed to turn his hobby into a full-time job.
Maintaining good cut quality when using an abrasive saw
- By Scott Allen
- May 2, 2016
- Sawing
- Article
A fabricator that can find the right abrasive wheel for the job, can figure out the right cutting speed and downfeed rate, and can find the right saw with enough power likely doesn’t have to worry about poor-quality cuts while abrasive cutting.
Reporting to OSHA after a severe injury
- By Tim Heston
- May 2, 2016
- Safety
- Article
During their presentation at the FMA Annual Meeting, attorney David Jones, along with Doug Raff, owner of Paragon Industrial Controls, showed a lot about what a fabricator can expect during an OSHA inspection after reporting a major injury. They gave insights as to how companies can best navigate the OSHA inspection and citation process.
Do you manage scrap properly?
- By Thom Romer
- May 2, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
A metal fabricator checks incoming raw material before signing off on it. Doesn't it make sense to pay as much attention to the material leaving the facility? The potential return on the effort suggests "yes."
Tennessee metal manufacturer ramps up research
- By Tim Heston
- Apr 27, 2016
- Shop Management
- Article
MECO, a metal manufacturer in east Tennessee, has a history both in product line and contract manufacturing. Moving forward, company leaders consider R&D the key to future growth.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/30/2024
- Running Time:
- 53:00
Seth Feldman of Iowa-based Wertzbaugher Services joins The Fabricator Podcast to offer his take as a Gen Zer...
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- Upcoming Webcasts
Navigating Change: The Manufacturer’s Guide to Change Management with ERP Implementation
- May 16, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: ECI Software Solutions, M1
Managing Dangerous Dusts from Metalworking
- June 26, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: Camfil Air Pollution Control