February 2016
Flattening a warped steel part that is nearly two inches thick is extremely difficult, even with a flattening press and a lot of experience. But for a heavy fabricator that uses one of the largest parts levelers in North America, it’s just a matter of setting a few parameters in the control and feeding the problem part into the machine, which hits it right on the first pass.
Faced with a growing shortage of skilled labor and demands to complete jobs faster than ever before, contractors must do something to maximize their productivity. What is the answer?
Press brake tools are the only parts of the machine that ever touch the finished parts being formed. The best precision CNC press brake cannot produce good products with poor tooling, and bad tooling makes all the good hardware in the process – including the machine operator – useless.
Jacob Prak of MMI shares some insights for shops to become more competitive.
From metal service centers in the U.S to industrial plant contractors in Turkey, fabricators everywhere are discovering how 5-axis waterjet cutting capabilities can be used to grow their business in heavy industrial applications.
Here is a review of some of the latest cutting, drilling, grinding and other equipment for fab shops, metal service centers and contractors on the jobsite that are trying to keep up with opportunities in construction and heavy industry.
Flattening a warped steel part that is nearly two inches thick is extremely difficult, even with a flattening press and a lot of experience. But for a heavy fabricator that uses one of the largest parts levelers in North America, it’s just a matter of setting a few parameters in the control and feeding the problem part into the machine, which hits it right on the first pass.
Press brake tools are the only parts of the machine that ever touch the finished parts being formed. The best precision CNC press brake cannot produce good products with poor tooling, and bad tooling makes all the good hardware in the process – including the machine operator – useless.
As shops face demands to reduce expenses and turn jobs around ever faster, many are looking for improved digital productivity to slash costs and reduce their overall manufacturing cycle. Here is a review of the latest CAD/CAM software, new advances in machine controls, and machine-based simulation that can help them do it.
Jacob Prak of MMI shares some insights for shops to become more competitive.
The special controls used by thread grinding machine tool builder Mikromat keeps their machines simple to operate as they get faster and more precise to meet complex aviation, aerospace, marine and automobile applications.
Heavy industrial welding demands higher productivity through higher deposition rates, lower defect rates and fewer grinding and finishing tasks. Here is a review of some of the latest equipment to meet those demands and get the job done right.
A comparison of the two processes by application and cost.
Faced with a growing shortage of skilled labor and demands to complete jobs faster than ever before, contractors must do something to maximize their productivity. What is the answer?
You already have source capture systems in place for your welding operations. Do you also need an ambient air quality system? If your air isn’t as clean as it should be, you might want to consider it.
Ideal for any work environment, the portable SysLite II from Festool mounts on a magnetic base or hangs by a swivel hook.
Fit testing advances hearing protection at the steel mill:
even the best earplugs won’t work — if they’re not properly worn.
Workholding must be updated to make full use of the small lot flexibility that machine tools now offer so that the same part cost can be achieved in much shorter production runs. Here are some of the latest advances in workholding technology for shops to consider.
The way we machine parts has changed significantly over the years. Now it’s time to change how we think about workholding too.
The advanced software in these new shop floor inspection systems integrates geometric dimensioning and tolerancing parameters into the measurement process to improve the assessment of functional precision in the parts being measured.
When print tolerances use geometric dimensioning and tolerancing to clearly communicate functional requirements – such as how a hole’s position can vary and still allow for assembly – the tolerances can be made as large as possible without impacting part function.
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