September 2008 Edition

FABTECH PREVIEW

What Happens in Vegas . . . Should Follow You Home

The FABTECH show is an opportunity to see more than 800 exhibitors and attend sessions that will help hone business skills and technology. Don’t let what happens in Vegas, stay there.

The FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show, the largest metal forming, fabricating, and welding event in North America, will take place Oct. 6 through 8, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It provides access to more than 800 exhibitors, offering equipment, services, and educational programs.

Attendees can compare thousands of pieces of equipment in action with live demonstrations and side-by-side equipment comparisons. It’s a chance to network with thousands of industry professionals to discover the latest techniques or solve challenges.

Besides the displays on the more than 400,000 ft² show floor, those attending the show can enhance their professional development, with more than 100 career-enhancing technical presentations:

Executive Forum Breakfast

Competing – and Winning – in the Changing Global Value Chain, Bill Canis, vice president of the Manufacturing Institute

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., registration code F1, Room S212, breakfast provided, limited seating so register in advance, $99.

Manufacturing remains a pillar of the U.S. economy and is a major contributor to its growth. However, the pressure of a globalizing economy has many manufacturers seeking ways to be more competitive. The forum will address the costs that undercut U.S. manufacturers and discuss four major new growth opportunities.

Special Event

Embracing the Challenges of Manufacturing in a Global Economy, Jim Waters, VP of Production Systems, Caterpillar

Monday, Oct. 6, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., registration code K1, room S233, free.

The world is getting smaller, causing many to question the future of manufacturing in the industrialized world. While the expansion of global manufacturing poses many challenges, it also opens doors to numerous possibilities. Attendees will learn the reasons why they can, how, and must take advantage of this competitive challenge.

Special Event

Inspiring Future Generations to Lead the World in Innovation, Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST, president of DEKA Research & Development Corp., inventor

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., registration code K2, room S233, free.

Innovation is the key to keeping U.S. manufacturing competitive in a global economy, but it depends on a well-educated and skilled workforce. The importance of getting the nation’s youth excited about careers in science, technology, and engineering, and cultivating an environment that encourages creativity and risk-taking will be the topic of the session.

Business Improvement Seminar

Taming the Product Liability Beast: 10 Things You Can Do to Protect Yourself, Gary M. Glass, Thompson Hine

Monday, Oct. 6, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., registration code B1, room S233, free.

Companies involved in metal forming, fabricating, and welding face risks and catastrophic product liability lawsuits. This session will present the top 10 things a company can, and should, do to protect itself, drawing from real-life case studies.

Business Improvement Seminar

Helping Fabricators Make Sense of the Economy, Dr. Chris Kuehl, global economist

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., registration code B2, room S233, free.

Economists and their statistics help make the world comprehensible, but most people are overwhelmed by the contradictions and are at a loss as to what to do with all the data. Explained will be what production data in a specific sector matters most and what trade opportunities exist.

Business Improvement Seminar

Workforce Development – Today’s Issues, panel discussion

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., registration code B3, room S233, free.

Panelists James R. Warren, director of eduction, FMA; Granville L. Brown, director, Technical & Industrial Education Programs, Division of Workforce & Economic Development, College of Southern Nevada; Joe Chiaramonte, plant manager, Midwest Metal Products; Terry Culp, business manager, Management Assistance Partnership, Nevada System of Higher Education. The panel will discuss the strategies to building a competitive manufacturing workforce.

For show registration and more information, go to www.fmafabtech.com/registration.cfm .

Here are some of the best bets as to what will be shown at the Las Vegas show.

Welding Gun Available From 250 to 450 amp

Tweco Style Spray Master guns will be available from 250 amp to 450 amp, including all the replacement parts from front-end to rear-end. The parts include power pins for Tweco, Miller, and Lincoln. The gun offers a simple front-end handle with a proven Lightning rear-end assembly, spring guard, and handles. Other consumables include nozzles, contact tips, diffusers, and conductor tubes.

American Torch Tip; Booth 13205

Cutting Speed Increases up to 30 Percent with Laser

The TruFlow 7000 with 7 kw laser, available on the high-speed TruLaser 5030, results in rapid cutting speeds that boost efficiency. It cuts stainless steel up to 1.188" thick, and aluminum up to 0.8". The laser expands the range of sheet thicknesses that the machine can cut and increases cut speed. Cutting speed increases of up to 10 percent can be achieved for stainless steel 0.375", and up to 30 percent for 0.75" to 1", according to the manufacturer. Improvements include the single cutting head strategy, where the same cutting head can be used to process various sheet metal thicknesses. Another feature, integrated collision protection, safely guards the cutting head from damage since the head folds away during a collision.

Trumpf Inc.; Booth 7005

Torches and Accessories Highlighted

TIG welding torches and accessories, including the LS17 TIG torch, and the Triad tungsten grinder will be at the show. The torch features a styled soft-grip handle for maneuverability, and an interchangeable fingertip switch for remote amperage control and can be replaced without tools. A flexible knuckle-joint at the base of the torch handle permits control and movement, while minimizing stress on the power cables and the backend of the torch body. It is rated at 150 amps DC and 125 amps AC, both at 60 percent duty cycle. The tungsten grinder prepares tungsten for both orbital and hand-held TIG applications. It features an industrial motor, precision-drilled entries that accommodate six different diameters, and four different grinding angles for arc starting and weld penetration. Each ships in a carrying case, and includes a dual-sided diamond-coated grinding wheel, an electrode holder, and a machine holder for bench top mounting.

Weldcraft; Booth 13085

Durability and Comfort are Not Mutually Exclusive

The HD Q and S Series MIG guns are for high deposition welding and feature a durable and heat-resistant handle with a rubberized grip for maneuverability, as well as an armor-protected locking trigger with an optional dual-schedule switch. Designed for high current loads over long, continuous joints, the guns feature Stay-Tite technology that incorporates compression fittings and large, tapered neck-to-handle connections. The armor-protected locking trigger helps reduce operator fatigue.

Bernard Welding Equipment; Booth 13083

Custom-ordered Abrasive Wheels

A line of cotton fiber abrasive wheels that can be custom-ordered to prepare stamped metal parts for finishing, such as automotive rain guards, will be showcased. Rex-Cut Type 1 Wheels are offered in a range of sizes and grits that can reach into slots or finish edges and corners to prepare stamped metal parts for powder coating or painting. Available in 1" to 4" OD sizes to fit die grinders, they are made from layers of non-woven cotton fabric that are laminated and then pressed and bonded together and constantly reveal fresh abrasives while they work. Available in 1/32" to 1/2" thicknesses, with either aluminum oxide or silicon carbide abrasives from 36 to 320 Grit, and a hard or soft bond.

Rex-Cut Products, Inc.; Booth 11173

Machining Brilliance

The LVPLUSII combines several features including the 40CF-R resonator technology that reduces rise time/fall time of square wave pulse. This provides consistent beam power during the cutting process and delivers consistent edge quality. The uniform low-current discharge provides low-power stability for improved micro-machining and etching. The machine also delivers Brilliant cut technology, which can produce a cutting surface roughness equivalent to the typical machined finish. This technology provides optimal processing conditions, reduced taper, and reduced discoloring on the heat-affected zone.

Mitsubishi/MC Machinery Systems; Booth 4039

Fixturing System Features Five-sided Welding

The Demmeler modular fixturing system features accurate five-sided welding tables made of high tensile strength steel. Angles, spacer blocks, clamps, positioning and clamping bolts, and universal stops can be assembled into a ready to use welding fixture in a matter of hours. Ideal for prototypes, spares, and other short run jobs, according to the manufacturer.

Bluco; Booth 10142

Cold Saw Has Removable Full Guards

The Model C315/350 manual cold saw uses a solid hinge-type design that makes it useful for prototype work, or for limited production work under considered applications, according to the manufacturer. A double vise assembly, with a 6-1/4" maximum opening, provides holding power on both sides of the cut for burr-free operation. The vise is mounted on a slide assembly to allow optimum positioning of the workpiece relative to the blade. The saw features a 14" HSS blade, a 3.5 hp three-phase TEFC motor, two-speed spindle – 30 and 60 rpm – totally enclosed transmission, 24V controls, and built-in flood coolant. The machine is capable of cutting round shapes up to 4" in diameter at 90°, and 3-3/4" in diameter at 45°; square and rectangular shapes up to 3-3/4"×5" at 90°, and 3-3/4"×3-3/4" at 45°. It comes with full guards that are removable for cleaning.

Kalamazoo Machine Tool; Booth 3174

Laser Cuts 1,000 Holes Per Minute

SYNCRONO, a 2D Laser Cutting System, is now available with the CV5000 Laser Resonator. The resonator has the ability to process thicker materials, and to produce cut quality with a reduced heat-affected zone, according to the manufacturer. The system’s cutting head cuts at an acceleration of up to 6g, letting it cut more than 1,000 holes per minute. It is available with a fully automated material handling system consisting of either a 10- or 15-shelf storage pallet loading/unloading unit; automatic arm with pick-up device and suction-cup loading; a double-sheet thickness control device; sheet-metal separation unit; and controller and standard protection barriers. The system works continuously. A vibration-free design and a constant beam path throughout the 60"×120" work area provides accurate, reliable cutting, even in very small and intricate profiles, according to the manufacturer. The system is equipped with a high quality and high power CP laser, as well as interchangeable optics, allowing it to pass from the lowest to the highest material thickness.

PRIMA North America, Inc.; Booth 4075

A Family Affair

The Metalloy Vantage family of metal-cored wires and the Boilermaker stick electrode family will be featured at the show. The Metalloy Vantage, Vantage Ni1, and Vantage D2 all feature a patented formula that reduces silicon island formation and produces weld bead toe lines that are almost completely free of silicon deposits, minimizing cleanup. All Vantage wires are designed to improve wetting action and gap bridging, and offer higher deposition rates and faster travel speeds than solid wires, according to the manufacturer. The Boilermaker family of stick electrodes – 18, A1, B2, and B3 – has been designed to provide X-ray quality welds on challenging boiler tube repairs. To help reduce rework and cleanup, these electrodes have low spatter levels and easy slag removal, along with porosity-free arc starts and stops.

Hobart Brothers; Booth 13081

Protection With a Twist

The Model SBB-12, a spiral-bottom round-bowl unit with a full-circle baffle that keeps parts in the media mass for faster, more precise processing, has a 12 ft³, urethane-lined tub for parts protection. Other available models have tub capacities of 8 ft³ and 15 ft³, while custom-designed models offer capacities up to 100 ft³. The spiral design features automatic separation of parts from the abrasive media, at predetermined intervals according to finishing requirements. Its separating screen surface permits separation of parts and machine unloading. It is engineered to lift and move different parts over the separating dam without jamming or hitting each other on the screen. The tub can also serve as a through-feed or one-pass machine when the dam is held in the up position. Larger parts can be processed on the tub because of greater clearance between the screen and tub bottom. Specifications include a 7.5 hp drive, a 13" diameter tub cross section, an overall diameter of 66", and a machine height of 44".

ALMCO, Inc.; Booth 4295

Waterjet Option Offers Remote Status Monitoring

Several X-Series waterjet controllers for the more than 20 models of waterjet systems available will be featured at the show, including systems with multiple 5-axis abrasive or water-only cutting heads. Custom machine applications with options that can be mounted on the units such as height sensors, crash sensors, laser alignment, drill, and tapping units can be viewed, including the double screen controller with built-in camera that monitors consumable use, service and maintenance, and is pro-active in notifying customers. It offers full remote control from another location and e-mails the status of the work performed and outstanding to management.

WARDJet, Inc.; Booth 4263

Fasten Up!

A range of fastening solutions, including self-clinching fasteners for precision sheet metal, brass inserts for plastics, direct screw fixings for plastic and light alloys, spring steel components, as well as fasteners for special materials, will be at the show. The Anchor Rivet Bush series fasteners for thin sheetmetal applications is useful for stainless applications that are too thin for standard clinch fasteners, according to the manufacturer. A broad range of self-clinching fasteners including clinch nuts, flush and non-flush studs, thru-hole and blind standoffs, and flush nuts will also be on display.

PSM International; Booth 13296

Network Connection

A pressport private online network for Hydraulic Press users will be showcased. Customers can obtain a real-time status of their press operations by logging in and viewing data via an Ethernet connection over a secure VPN network. The pressport technology lets manufacturers respond to problems with the manufacturing process. An Alarm Management feature sends instant text messages or e-mail notifications to mobile phones, PDA devices, and computers if an operation occurs outside the Programmable Logic Controller variables. A button lets operators send an alert to a company engineer for 24/7 critical assistance. Web Human Machine Interface lets users view animated screens or tabular data through a web browser interface so users can view maintenance reports, production data, and other critical sensor data. Data logging, reporting, and trending features can also be accessed from an internal database. Users can program custom reports based on the information they need.

Greenerd Press & Machine Co., Inc.; Booth 8032