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The Fabricator December 2023
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.
Tips for tackling virtual sharp points and bend lines for oblique angles
- By Gerald Davis
- Dec 29, 2023
- Manufacturing Software
- Article
To show how different approaches can be used to detail sheet metal characteristics in a CAD drawing, Gerald Davis focuses on two modeling examples.
File export fundamentals in structural steel fabrication
- Dec 27, 2023
- Manufacturing Software
- Article
When files have the right information and account for the machines a structural fabricator has, jobs start to flow easily from detailing through the fab shop floor and to the field.
The humanity behind precision sheet metal bending
- By Steve Benson
- Dec 23, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Blog Post
Steve Benson strays from his usual prose to dive into the humanity behind precision sheet metal bending and why Murphy's Law applies.
Roll forming strategies for high-strength material
- Dec 21, 2023
- Roll Forming
- Article
Roll formers are being asked to process high-strength material to very tight tolerances. Old-school rolling mills are starting to become obsolete, but the latest systems are ready for the challenge.
Fabrication software: from floppy disks to the cloud
- By Caleb Chamberlain
- Dec 21, 2023
- Manufacturing Software
- Article
Fabricators used to buy software in a box. Today, they turn to the cloud. And in the near future, AI tools will change how we interact with computers in ways impossible to foresee.
Welder finds success with door fabrication business
- By Dan Davis
- Dec 20, 2023
- Arc Welding
- Article
A career of learning about welding on the job has led Todd Noe to a new career fabricating heavy-duty residential doors and starting Maiden Steel in the San Diego area.
2024 metal fabrication forecast: A boring year ahead?
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 19, 2023
- Shop Management
- Article
The 21st century has seen economic turmoil from the dot-com bust, the financial crisis, and a pandemic. We finally may be due for a conventional, sectoral downturn, and some metal fabricators might not even notice.
Nesting fundamentals for laser cutting stability
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 18, 2023
- Laser Cutting
- Article
Laser cutting has become extraordinarily productive—if the head doesn’t halt or crash, of course. Considering how productive the latest laser cutting technology is, smart nesting has become more important than ever for metal fabrication shops.
5 metal fabrication trends for 2024
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 17, 2023
- Shop Management
- Blog Post
It’s a complicated time for metal manufacturers. The industry faces wage pressures and a skills gap, but metal fabrication technology continues to march forth faster than ever.
Smart fabricating of pressure tank vessel heads
- By Dan Davis
- Dec 15, 2023
- Plasma Cutting
- Article
New nozzle cutting plasma technology is another step toward Brighton Tru-Edge separating itself from other tank head fabricators.
PPE extends beyond the gear for metal fabricators
- By Lincoln Brunner
- Dec 14, 2023
- Safety
- Article
When thinking about personal protecting equipment, stop to think about employees’ needs and how your metal fabrication shop’s environment affects their health.
Buffalo Brew Fab centers business on keg products
- By Dan Davis
- Dec 12, 2023
- Arc Welding
- Article
Fabricating keg urinals started out as a small project for Brandon Farrell of Buffalo Brew Fab, but now it’s the foundation of his shop.
The basics of preparing a welding documentation
- By Dan Davis
- Dec 8, 2023
- Arc Welding
- Article
Welding procedures and qualifications play important roles in welders being able to deliver quality fabrications in a consistent manner.
How VR can attract the next gen of structural fabricators
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 7, 2023
- Shop Management
- Article
After Bill Issler sold his FabSuite MIS software in 2018, he knew all about the industry’s greatest problem, skilled labor, and aimed to use virtual reality technology to help solve it.
Testing the world’s first 3D-printed metal bridge
- By Tim Heston
- Dec 5, 2023
- Additive Manufacturing
- Article
Applying additive manufacturing in the construction business won’t be an easy bridge to cross. But as of 2021, a bridge in Amsterdam has been printed out of metal, and today, a bedrock of much-needed engineering data is being built.
- 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
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- June 5 - 6, 2024
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- June 25 - 27, 2024
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- 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