The Fabricator - Metal Fabricating News, Products, Articles, and …
Jan 8, 2025 · The Fabricator provides metal fabrication professionals with market news, the industry's best articles, product news, and conference information from the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association
Tube bending basics: How to bend tubing and metal pipe - The …
Feb 24, 2014 · The pressure die (also called a pressure slide) supports the outside radius during bending. The pressure die can be stationary; it can follow the workpiece, sliding on rollers at the same rate the workpiece is being drawn into the bend; or it can be “boosted,” pushed with hydraulics or (more common today) electrical servomotors, further minimizing wall thinning.
Sheet metal bending calculation basics - The Fabricator
Nov 9, 2012 · The second flat-blank-development example adds the two dimensions (from edge to the apex), and subtracts a bend deduction. In this case, the calculations use a complementary angle for the OSSB, and the dimensions are called from the edge to the apex—again, as specified in Figure 4.. Outside Setback (OSSB)
Bending Basics: The fundamentals of how to bend metal
Jan 2, 2014 · While sheet metal gauges run from 0.005 to 0.249 inch thick, aluminum and steel plate thicknesses start at 0.250 in. and go all the way up to 13 in. or even more.
Choosing the right tungsten for aluminum TIG welding
Nov 5, 2014 · Thoriated tungsten did not form a nice round ball, but became very irregular in geometry, which produced a fluttery, irregular arc. So pure and zirconiated electrodes were preferred, and still are if your GTAW machine is an SCR/transformer type, especially an …
Analyzing the k-factor in sheet metal bending - The Fabricator
Sep 12, 2018 · “However, the neutral axis does move toward the inside surface by a percentage, that percentage being the k-factor. This relocating or shifting of the neutral axis—from 50 percent of the material thickness to a new location equal to or less than 50 percent of the material thickness—is the reason why the part elongates during forming.
5 steps for proper weld preparation - The Fabricator
Nov 25, 2020 · Making the initial cut as clean, straight, and consistent as possible will make it easier for you to produce quality results. Offhand cutting with a right-angle grinder is inexpensive, portable, and does not require as much setup and maintenance as most of the other options.
Guidelines for tungsten electrode and color types - The Fabricator
Mar 7, 2006 · Editor's note: To read an update regarding tungsten electrodes guidelines, click here. Tungsten is a rare metallic element used for manufacturing gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) electrodes. The GTAW process relies on tungsten's hardness and high-temperature resistance to carry the welding current to the arc. Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, 3,410 degrees Celsius.
What is plasma welding? - The Fabricator
Dec 8, 2021 · Plasma is a hot, ionized gas consisting of approximately equal numbers of positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. The characteristics of plasma are significantly different from those of ordinary neutral gases, which is why it is considered a distinct fourth state of matter.
A guide to shielding gases for GMAW - The Fabricator
Jul 24, 2019 · Beyond quality issues, poor shielding gas performance can also drive up costs in the operation. A flow rate that is too high, for example, means you are wasting gas and spending more money on shielding gas than you need to.