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The Fabricator December 2020
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.
How lean manufacturing strengthens executive decision-making
- By Jeff Sipes
- Jan 26, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
Metal fabrication and other manufacturing business leaders make countless decisions to weather a crisis. Here's how lean thinking will enhance, not hinder, response if weaved in properly.
3D models need to be pretty and suitable
- By Gerald Davis
- Jan 22, 2021
- Shop Management
- Article
CAD guru Gerald Davis reviews modeling and documentation for threaded features in an exported model.
A quiz on bending sheet metal and plate
- By Steve Benson
- Jan 5, 2021
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Press brake guru Steve Benson gives readers a quick seven-question quiz on bending sheet metal and plate, covering everything from k-factors to springback. How do you think you will do?
Better connection design speeds structural fabrication
- By Tim Heston
- Jan 1, 2021
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
An alternative, automated approach to connection design with cloud-based analytics software could have profound implications for metal fabrication, erection, and the overall construction timeline.
How one structural fabricator boosts throughput
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 28, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Riding the e-commerce wave, Georgia-based Division 5 has become a go-to fabricator for warehouse construction. But the boom won’t last forever.
Fiber laser cutting assist gas technology evolves
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 27, 2020
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Fabricators now have more laser cutting assist gas options than ever. And as fiber laser powers increase, so will the assist gas possibilities.
Avoid speed bumps at the press brake
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 21, 2020
- Bending and Forming
- Article
A hang-up in the bending department can throw a wrench into a press brake operator’s workday. Here are some efficient strategies according to Jonah Higgs, tech leader at Wisconsin-based Applied Laser Technologies and creator of web-based tool Bend Genius.
2021 metal fabrication forecast: The road to recovery continues
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 21, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
The pandemic has caused obvious economic problems. But some industries have faired better than others: Manufacturing has been leading a recovery heading into 2021. And how metal fabricators perform next year will depend on their end markets and if more shops embrace the fiber laser.
The punch at the center of it all
- By Dan Davis
- Dec 18, 2020
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Article
Punch tooling is the common denominator for the many different metal manufacturing sectors that make up the world of fabricating.
How tablets, digital tech are changing structural fabrication
- By Ryan Vander Plaats
- Dec 17, 2020
- Manufacturing Software
- Article
When paired with a properly implemented digital platform, tablets and other devices can streamline work orders, cut lists, and other production updates throughout structural fabrication shops.
The art of training a plate rolling expert
- By Allan Flamholz
- Dec 15, 2020
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Finding a plate rolling expert is hard for many metalworking facilities, so training one in-house makes sense. Here are five guidelines for shops looking to grow that expertise.
How gemba walks reduce manufacturing staff turnover
- By Joseph Girard
- Dec 14, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Gemba walks are a regular facet of the lean production system and help manufacturing workers perceive their bosses differently. For employee retention, employee perception can make all the difference.
How Pennsylvania metal fabricator cuts with ultrahigh laser power
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 11, 2020
- Laser Cutting
- Article
One Pennsylvania metal fabrication shop, Raytec LLC, has two laser cutting machines—nothing out of the ordinary, until you realize they have 15 and 20 kW of cutting power, respectively.
Structural beam cambering with throughput in mind
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 10, 2020
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Traditional hot cambering takes hours for a single beam. The latest cambering systems shorten that time to just a few minutes.
Cracking the (weld) nut of automated operational excellence
- By Will Healy III
- Dec 9, 2020
- Assembly and Joining
- Article
Tired of dealing with excessive downtime in welding automation? To improve things requires taking a long-term view and, not least, a different mindset.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 05/07/2024
- Running Time:
- 67:38
Patrick Brunken, VP of Addison Machine Engineering, joins The Fabricator Podcast to talk about the tube and pipe...
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- Industry Events
Laser Welding Certificate Course
- May 7 - August 6, 2024
- Farmington Hills, IL
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY
Advanced Laser Application Workshop
- June 25 - 27, 2024
- Novi, MI
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