Two schools in the Midwest, Hartford Union High School in Wisconsin and Cary-Grove High School in Illinois, are doing something about the shortage of skilled manufacturing workers.

Jackson Tube Service manufactures 100 million feet of tubing every year and uses side-loading forklifts to move it quickly and safely.

Steve Geroski started his laser cutting job shop, Red Horizon Engineering , knowing the intrinsic advantages large fabricators have over small shops like his. But he’s using software to even the odds.

When considering upgrades, repairs, or new tube bending machines, metal fabrication shops should look beyond the equipment's technical capabilities and focus on business as a whole.

Mundo-Tech has taken the product of a team brainstorming session, 3D-printed fixtures, and turned it into an offshoot business that is now presenting a whole new world of possibilities.

For Yoshimura R&D, reducing setup time is critically important. The company has found one way to do that is reducing inspection time.

Anyone who owns a business, big or small, knows the importance of having a plan, getting outside help, and delegating. But after gathering all the analysis and help, there's no point in slowing the momentum. Take action.

A slew of U.S. companies, like Ohio-based metal fabricator Welded Tubes, are sourcing or setting up shop just south of the border in Mexico—though not quite as many as might be expected.

It's not uncommon for metal fabrication shops to struggle with producing precise parts on tube bending machines. The solution? Often times it comes down to simple math and communicating with the machine manufacturer.

Looking at the European skilled welding situation, KM MONT decided to invest not in more welders, but in automation to free its welders to do jobs that only human welders can do.

As OSHA takes the first steps toward establishing new heat standards for U.S. workers, companies need to address stifling indoor work environments.

If nimbleness is the key to survival for job shops looking to provide quick turnaround times, capital investments must follow. With the addition of two more tube lasers, Wisconsin-based Sharpe Products is making the most of that manufacturing strategy.

A metal fabrication shop knowing how to respond to a tube bender in the emergency stop state means first knowing the circuits, voltage, and relays in the machine.

Of all the decisions that a growing manufacturing company has to consider, capital investment is the riskiest. Businesses should first make sure it makes sense for customers.