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The Fabricator February 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.
Technology Spotlight: Reading the laser cutting beam—there’s an app for that
- By Tim Heston
- Feb 1, 2017
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Precitec’s cutting head senses trouble in real time, and communicates via Bluetooth directly to an operator’s phone or tablet.
Following the roll forming road map
- By Tim Heston
- Feb 1, 2017
- Roll Forming
- Article
Many people call roll forming a black art, but David Rostocil isn’t one of them. If an operator is given the print, follows documented operating procedures, and maintains good records—and has consistent material thickness and properties to work with—the process becomes a science, one that over time can be tweaked and perfected.
6 ways to optimize a waterjet for your shop
- By Chip Burnham
- Jan 31, 2017
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Article
A waterjet can be outfitted to fit your shop's unique needs. Knowing how they work, benefits and how to make them more productive will help you get the most out of your waterjet, from art to part.
Lean manufacturing and a tale of two sandboxes
- By Logan O’Hara and
- Jan 30, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Change can cause an emotional roller coaster. One often-missed component of continuous improvement is empathizing with those who must change what they do every day. Without empathy, understanding, and describing what the change means for the whole organization, emotions can run high.
A new way to automate sheet metal bending
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 30, 2017
- Bending and Forming
- Article
At Minneapolis-based Atlas Manufacturing, a collaborative robot has taken over the mundane task of forming long runs of simple parts.
Fabricating a new sales approach
- By Dan Davis
- Jan 30, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
More job shops are looking to formalize their sales efforts, and that often means eschewing contract sales reps and hiring a full-time employee to go out and chase business.
Press brake bending basics: Tooling choice when forming aluminum
- By Steve Benson
- Jan 30, 2017
- Bending and Forming
- Article
When choosing tools to bend aluminum, as always, you need to consider the naturally floated radius as well as where the bend turns sharp. You also may consider forming certain aluminum grades in the annealed condition.
A trophy fit for Titletown
- By Amanda Carlson
- Jan 27, 2017
- Arc Welding
- Article
A Wisconsin metal fabricator created a 10-ft. replica of the Lombardi Trophy and mounted it in the yard outside of its Green Bay-based tailgate house. Why? Because Packer fandom is a way of life.
Managing the three legs of the custom metal fabrication stool
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 27, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Technology has become the ticket to entry for metal fabrication. But when a fabricator buys a new machine, it doesn’t stay secret for long. So what really sets a company apart from its competitors? Past speakers at FMA events give some insights.
Shop technology and 3-D CAD: Design changes involve changes to CAD hierarchy
- By Gerald Davis
- Jan 27, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
To assist with smooth transitions during design changes, columnist Gerald Davis shows a work flow for changing a part into an assembly.
Continuous improvement in metal fabrication: Role changes in a lean transformation
- By Jeff Sipes
- Jan 27, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
This month, columnist Jeff Sipes walks through the typical day of a production supervisor before and after a lean transformation.
Ultrasonic welding and machining come together to take 3-D printing to the next level
- By Mark Norfolk
- Jan 25, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
As part of a new approach to system design, ultrasonic additive manufacturing and CNC milling can be used together to create parts with complex material makeup that can perform multiple functions.
Laser cutting basics: The science of burr-free laser cutting
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 25, 2017
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Attaining a burr-free laser cut is about setting up the beam parameters and gas flow dynamics right. Learn the laser cutting basics from the experts at FMA.
A case study in lean manufacturing: Opening the door to single-piece flow
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 25, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
Total Door Systems, Waterford, Mich., has successfully adopted single-piece part flow to engineer- to-order commercial door manufacturing. In its old building, the company held up to six weeks of work-in-process. It moved into a new building in 2010, and today the manufacturer holds only one day’s worth of WIP—and can respond to customers within days, instead of weeks.
Fabricating lessons that stand the test of time
- By Dan Davis
- Jan 25, 2017
- Shop Management
- Article
AT&F, an organization that likes to describe itself as a fabricator that handles difficult fabricating jobs involving long and heavy parts, is a family company that has beaten the odds. The fourth generation is now involved in opening new outposts in Wisconsin and in India. During this time, the company is working to maintain the core principles that have helped to make it a success from the start.
- 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...
- Industry Events
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
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Precision Press Brake Certificate Course
- July 31 - August 1, 2024
- Elgin,
- 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