October 2022 | Mac-Tech

19 Oct

How To Reduce Metal Waste During Fabrication

The advent of computer numerical controls (CNC) and robotics in metal fabrication has helped metalworking shops produce parts and products that are more precise. But waste is still an issue; even the best metal product designs and specifications can’t use every ounce of raw material. The unused portions turn into potentially toxic waste that shops must manage according to environmental regulations. Businesses must shoulder additional costs and paperwork to comply with reporting requirements that may apply to the disposal of [...]

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18 Oct

The 7 Different Types of Sheet Metal Bending

People have been bending and shaping metal since the Bronze Age. With the dawn of the Iron Age and the discovery of steel, metalworking focused on producing weapons inexpensively to equip armies. But in the Industrial Age, steel became indispensable in construction and manufacturing. It became possible to build taller buildings and bigger machines. Instead of forging and hammering metal into desired shapes, metalworkers began to use machines called press brakes to apply the force necessary to bend, roll, and [...]

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18 Oct

5 Quality Control Best Practices for Metal Fabrication

Metalworking companies get significant business from referrals, which largely impact the quality of their work. Ensuring that products going out the door conform exactly to specifications while meeting delivery deadlines can make the difference between profit and loss. Learn five quality control best practices for metal fabrication. Quality Control and Quality Assurance Quality control (QC) involves inspecting parts to ensure they consistently meet specifications. QC provides metalworking shops and their clients with confidence that products will do what they’re meant to [...]

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17 Oct

What Makes Electric Press Brakes Eco-Friendly?

People who aren’t familiar with modern metal fabrication operations may think that a metalworking shop is a dirty, noisy, grimy place. But metal fabrication has become a high-tech industry, with computer numeric control (CNC) machines, robotics, and attention to waste control and reduction. Many metalworking machines are now manufactured with environmental responsibility in mind. Reduced energy consumption and less reliance on fossil fuels are goals that can be achieved with newer machinery. Most metal fabrication businesses rely on press brakes to [...]

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17 Oct

Tips for Designing Products for Manufacturing

Design for manufacturing (DFM), sometimes called design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA) or design for manufacturability, refers to the cluster of considerations that go into creating an easily manufactured product than can be produced cost-effectively. These tips for designing products for manufacturing can help you minimize delay and avoids “do-overs” when you discover a design flaw or manufacturing problem after production has begun. DFM is organized by five basic aspects that affect the end result: process, design, materials, environment, and [...]

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17 Oct

What Skills Do You Need To Be a Metal Fabricator?

Using huge machines to bend and cut metal sounds like it requires physical strength and a high tolerance for noise, heat, and grime. While physical fitness and the ability to work on your feet for long stretches of time are necessary, modern metal fabrication requires a more diverse set of skills. If you’re wondering what skills you need to be a metal fabricator, you should be thinking about computers, engineering, and math. Attention to Detail The metal fabrication industry works with [...]

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17 Oct

5 Signs You Should Use Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing principles and practices originated at Toyota. Their stunning success inspired manufacturers across industries and all over the world to adopt lean operations. The essence of lean manufacturing is to provide the greatest value to the customer with minimal waste on the production side. Processes, activities, and resources devoted to anything other than creating value for customers are defined as wasteful. 5 Principles of Lean Manufacturing Five principles guide the lean manufacturing process: Value: The extent to which a product or [...]

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