- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Our Publications
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
More from Eric Lundin
Aerospace parts manufacturer upgrades bending capability
- By Eric Lundin
- Sep 8, 2014
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Bending tubular parts for the aerospace industry isn’t easy. OEMs continue to push the envelope, designing increasingly complex parts made from pricey materials. Fabricators are under continuous pressure to improve their capabilities, turn orders around faster, and minimize scrap. To that end, SL Engineering recently invested in a second all-electric bender from Unison.
Custom bicycle manufacturer fabricates titanium, ferrous materials, aluminum to thrive in competitive market
- By Eric Lundin
- Sep 4, 2014
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Article
Firefly Bicycles, a 2011 start-up in the custom bicycle business, is thriving despite the sluggish economy and a competitive marketplace. The company’s three founders are using their previous work experience in bicycle fabrication and their enthusiasm for cycling to stay ahead of the competition.
- From The Fabricator
TPJ celebrates 25 years
- By Eric Lundin
- Sep 3, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Editor Eric Lundin recounts some of the more interesting articles published in TPJ since it was founded in 1990, discusses some of the trends, and provides some input from early members of TPA’s board of directors.
- From The Fabricator
Getting ready for the next generation
- By Eric Lundin
- Aug 28, 2014
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
The U.S. population is aging, as is the workforce. Employers of all sorts are doing what they can, or should be doing what they can, to prepare for increasing rates of retirement. If you're lucky enough to have (1) a pool of experienced workers, (2) a company culture that encourages the sharing of the tribal knowledge, and (3) an enthusiastic group of new recruits, you're just missing one element that can help to make the transition go smoothly.
- From The Fabricator
Keep it simple, senators!
- By Eric Lundin
- Aug 6, 2014
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
Can we depend on our representatives to undo some of what they have been doing? Maybe, maybe not. But it would be nice if they would give it a try.
- From The Fabricator
Automobiles and artwork
- By Eric Lundin
- Aug 4, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
For Monty Kollath, a degree in commercial art and a career in automotive repair work provided a nice living and positioned him well for a little moonlighting as a metal artist. However, Kollath had one more factor in his favor—his job in the auto repair field provides an endless supply of cast-off items suitable for metal sculpture.
Camera-based measurement system sends waves of productivity through fabrication shop
- By Eric Lundin
- Jul 31, 2014
- Testing and Measuring
- Article
When Bob Burns, owner of Aero Bending Co., Palmdale, Calif., moved his company to a new and bigger location, he considered adding to the company’s fleet of benders. However, a number of bending machine operators often lined up to measure bent components, creating a bottleneck. Changing to an optical inspection system cleared this bottleneck.
Success breeds success as hardbanding service provider evolves into equipment vendor
- By Eric Lundin
- Jul 21, 2014
- Arc Welding
- Article
When Dave Milo set out to build a portable hardbanding unit, the former trucking company owner knew little about welding and nothing about hardbanding. After updating the hardbanding unit design a few times with consulting help from Lincoln Electric, Milo thinks he’s ready to change direction. Rather than providing hardbanding services, his goal is to sell hardbanding machines.
Customized lift truck provides safer, quicker unloading of tube, pipe, other long loads
- By Eric Lundin
- Jul 10, 2014
- Materials Handling
- Article
BSS Industrial, a plumbing and heating products distributor, was accustomed to using slings affixed to its fork lifts to lift tube bundles from truck beds. The drawback was that on occasion the load would swing, creating a tipping risk for the lift truck. Lift truck manufacturer Combilift developed a truck with standard-length forks for placing and picking inventory, and a longer set of forks for lifting tube bundles from the delivery vehicle’s bed.
- From The Fabricator
Portable pipe cutting tool simplifies sawing process
- By Eric Lundin
- Jul 7, 2014
- Power Tools
- Article
It's not often that a tool as simple as a hand-held circular saw wins an award for its design, but it happened when Exact Pipe Tools Inc. submitted three models to Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, one of the oldest design institutes in Europe. The saw clamps to the pipe, so users are safer and cuts are straighter.
Tube producer opens doors to new markets, controls costs with laser welding
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 30, 2014
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Article
A niche tube producer that formerly used GTAW exclusively, Esta Rohr began changing over to laser welding in 2005. The change is now complete, with substantial changes. The company has reduced its number tube production lines from five to three, but its output has increased tremendously. Meanwhile, laser welding has allowed it to cut some costs, helping its products compete against others.
- From The Fabricator
Artist’s career goes into overdrive
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 18, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Dominique Martinez, founder of Rustic Steel Creations, does a little of everything—using found objects and new metals, making functional items like handrails and decorative items (artistic sculptures), making items for sale and working under contract, working for profit and donating pieces for fundraisers—and in doing so, has built his company into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.
Fabricator/entrepreneur makes the most of everything Texas has to offer
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 16, 2014
- Shop Management
- Article
Native Texan and former Aggie Devin Gerland earned a degree in agricultural engineering and took a succession of engineering positions in and around Bryan, Texas. Now an entrepreneur with his own fabrication shop, Gerland is putting his farming and ranching experience to work, developing his own line of farm implements.
TUBE® expo exhibitors demonstrate the latest equipment for monitoring dimensions
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 9, 2014
- Testing and Measuring
- Article
The manufacturing standards for manufacturing and fabricating tube and pipe are continuously on the rise as OEMs demand tighter tolerances and ever-greater dimensional consistency. Keeping up with these trends is a matter of keeping up with the technologies available to monitor processes and measure tubular products.
Inverter helps manufacturer achieve improved arc starts, arc control
- By Eric Lundin
- Jun 2, 2014
- Arc Welding
- Article
The welders at JATCO Environmental Inc., a manufacturer of steam-to-liquids condensers for natural gas extraction, had a problem with striking and maintaining a good arc. When the company switched from a rectifier-based unit to an inverter-based unit, the welders found that the arc starts and weld characteristics were greatly improved.
- 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...
- Trending Articles
AI, machine learning, and the future of metal fabrication
Employee ownership: The best way to ensure engagement
Steel industry reacts to Nucor’s new weekly published HRC price
How to set a press brake backgauge manually
Los operadores de prensa dobladora inexpertos hacen indispensable el repensar la seguridad
- Industry Events
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
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
- Novi, MI
- Upcoming Webcasts
Nitrogen Generation for Laser Cutting: Navigating System Design for YOUR Operation
- April 24, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: Purity Gas
Navigating Change: The Manufacturer’s Guide to Change Management with ERP Implementation
- May 16, 2024
- Sponsored
- Presented By: ECI Software Solutions, M1