Industry News

Perfecting the cut-bend cycle in sheet metal fabrication

Manufacturing is, and has always been, a perpetually evolving industry. But the rate of change seems to have accelerated in recent years, along with a growth in orders. Keeping pace with increased customer demand has posed challenges for many manufacturers. It just seems like there are not enough fabricators to meet the growing need. During …

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Metal fabrication robots get more mobile with mix of technology and cross-training

“Constantly looking in the rearview mirror can make it difficult to look at future improvement. The key questions are, ‘What will happen and what can we do about it?’ [Data that answers] those questions can become incredibly powerful.” That was Michael Schoenhals, director of operational excellence at Riverview, Fla.-based BlueGrace Logistics, who presented at this …

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Stamping 101: Anatomy of a hydraulic press

Presses of all types—mechanical, pneumatic, servo, and hydraulic–have their place and offer unique advantages. However, over the past 50 years, hydraulic presses have trended toward greater utility. Today’s hydraulic presses are faster and more reliable than ever, and the technology has gone through significant changes and refinements. Improvements in seals, pumps, hoses, and couplings have …

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Die Science: The basics of die design, Part II – Choosing die guidance components

In Part I of this two-part series, I discussed the process of selecting a die set type and thickness. Now let’s discuss various commercially available die guidance components and some basic guidelines for deciding which type is best suited for your operation. Basic Guide Pin Function First, let me make this statement: The function of …

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Selecting and using abrasives for metal fabrication and welding

Selecting the right abrasive and using that abrasive correctly for metal fabrication applications and welding can make all the difference in maximizing productivity and minimizing cost. Still, with today’s tight deadlines, fabricators are tempted to use whatever abrasive is handy without considering which is the best one for the application. Some might even ignore some …

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Say goodbye to traditional robot programming in the fab shop

Whether through offline simulation or through the teach pendant, for years programming has been a robot’s primary weakness in the high-mix/low-volume world of metal fabrication. Teach pendant programming takes time, as does offline simulation. Some systems have used parametric programming, which scales a program to work with infinitely variable part sizes, but only around certain …

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What is metal stamping?

Metal stamping is a process that takes flat sheets of steel and uses tooling to convert the sheet of steel into specifically shaped parts. Metal stamping is a complex process and uses various metal forming techniques such as bending, piercing, blanking, and punching. Why use the metal stamping process? There are many positive reasons to …

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