FF Journal logo
FF Journal logo
Waterjet and Stamping articles
February 2020
FF Journal logo
FF Journal logo
Waterjet and Stamping articles
February 2020
February2020
a trend publication  Volume 17 Number 2
Rainier Square
Tower
16
structural / infrastructure
SpeedCore technology is changing how buildings are designed and constructed, while offering new work for fabricators
Rainier Square
Tower
16
structural / infrastructure
SpeedCore technology is changing how buildings are designed and constructed, while offering new work for fabricators
Hot Spots
welding
Advances in fiber laser technology improve aluminum welding
Fluid geometry
bending / folding
Fabricator gets four machines in one with custom angle roll technology
Higher order
Capturing knowledge
What's Happening
Consumables
35
Born to run
Clean connection
Stable structure
features
Press Brake / Tooling
All-electric technology gives fabricators energy efficiency, higher speeds and greater accuracy while reducing costs
product news
Product news for shop floor replacement products and tools
Software Solutions / ERP
Software helps fabricators adapt to the ebb and flow of industrial trends
Deburring / Grinding
Patented snap-on-and-off design changes how fabricators achieve smooth finishes
Tube & Pipe
Producers’ customers remain confident after acquisitions create leadership shift
features
Higher order
PRESS BRAKE / TOOLING
All-electric technology gives fabricators energy efficiency, higher speeds and greater accuracy while reducing costs
Consumables
35
PRODUCT NEWS
Product news for shop floor replacement products and tools
Born to run
SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS / ERP
Software helps fabricators adapt to the ebb and flow of industrial trends
Clean connection
DEBURRING / GRINDING
Patented snap-on-and-off design changes how fabricators achieve smooth finishes
Stable structure
TUBE & PIPE
Patented snap-on-and-off design changes how fabricators achieve smooth finishes
find even more metal fabricating & forming content online
16 meter tall dragon sculpture made from mirror-polished stainless steel
/stainless
grinding steel
/abrasives
laser steel cuts
/laser
Online
Features
ffjournal.net
/stainless
Beyond Reflection is a 16-meter-tall stainless steel dragon sculpture by Lawrence Argent, placed into a sunken plaza in Shenzhen, China
ffjournal.net
/abrasives
When smooth finishes count, the right grain achieves aesthetic appeal
ffjournal.net
/laser
Automation breakthroughs give fabricators control over high-speed laser cutting operations and reduces material losses
Man welding
woman using ipad
Facebook
Five trends emerge as millennials run manufacturing’s next act
Photo: Getty
welded edge
Instagram
#metal #rainbow #weldporn #tigwelding #stainlesssteel #welding #weldlife #weld #welders
welder at work
Twitter
How welding helped me cope with bereavement ow.ly/VFLw30q6hha
@GoodMenProject
Gretchen Salois headshot
From the
Senior Editor
Gretchen Salois
Swift & solid
T

hroughout the country, architects are seriously considering Speedcore technology for their building projects. This recently developed prefabricated system changes how designers, engineers and construction teams approach a project by shifting away from traditional reinforced concrete structures.

This month’s cover story (page 16) focuses on Rainier Square Tower in Seattle which, despite a crane operator strike, viaduct closure and inclement weather, still met its August 2019 timeline. Now, teams are finishing the base of the building and all interior work. With SpeedCore, there is no foundation lay-down stage, where concrete is poured and builders must wait weeks for it to sufficiently harden. Instead, two steel plates are set 24 in. apart by smooth steel bars, which are installed as part of a concrete-filled panel.

Training&Education
By Lauren Duensing, Contributing Editor
Capturing knowledge
Technical online courses can increase employees’ overall business comprehension
W

orkers who have spent their entire careers in manufacturing have amassed a base of experiential knowledge—concepts that aren’t typically taught in school. When they retire, the knowledge goes with them. THORS eLearning Solutions, a developer of online training and assessment tools for materials, manufacturing processes and manufactured products, is capturing this knowledge and making it accessible to the next generation.

“Prior to THORS, an individual had to learn in person from an expert, so there were constraints on the availability of the experts—and they would also have to have the passion, the content and time to teach,” says Senthil Kumar, founder of THORS eLearning Solutions. “THORS solves that problem by digitizing the knowledge from experts so proximity and availability do not matter.”

Toolbox
3D printed stator bore tool
3D printed stator bore tool for lighter weight tooling solutions
Kennametal has developed a 3D-printed stator bore tool designed to meet growing demand for lighter weight tooling solutions used to machine components for hybrid and electric vehicles. Kennametal’s 3D-printed stator bore tool weighs half that of the conventionally manufactured version, while meeting accuracy, roundness and surface finish requirements for aluminum motor body boring.

Kennametal, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 724/539-5000,
www.kennametal.com.

Alkaline detergent
Alkaline detergent for ultrasonic cleaning
Clean-Gard 83 is an alkaline detergent designed to remove aged, oxidized, burned-on oil, grease and for other difficult cleaning operations. Intended for immersion application, including ultrasonic cleaning and recirculation spray washers up to 25 psi, this product cleans more thoroughly in less time. Its formulation produces low-to-moderate foam, maximizing ultrasonic cavitation. When the solution is not rinsed, it offers rust protection. It is suited for use with ferrous, aluminum and zinc alloys when used as directed.

Madison Chemical Co., Inc., Madison, Indiana, 812/273-6000, www.madchem.com.

What’s Happening
SPS Companies and State Steel acquire Kooima Co.
SPS Companies Inc., a Saint Louis Park, Minnesota-based distributor of plumbing and fire protection sprinkler pipe and accessories, and State Steel Supply Co., a Sioux City, Iowa-based distributor and processor of a wide range of flat-rolled and long products, have signed an agreement to acquire the parts fabrication assets of Kooima Co., a laser process fabricator in Rock Valley, Iowa. Phil Kooima, who founded Kooima Co. in 1988, will continue to helm the company alongside his management team: Greg De Jager, president; Mike Altena, CFO; and Jeremy Van Zee, vice president.
Three equipment companies merge
Mathey Dearman Inc., which makes tools to cut, bevel, clamp and life pipe and tube products, is merging with B&B Pipe and Industrial Tools LLC and TAG Pipe Equipment Specialist Ltd. into a single corporation. Each brand name will continue as before. The merged organization is called Specialized Fabrication Equipment Group or The SFE Group. With investor backing, The SFE Group will look to expand into the welding and industrial equipment channels with add-on acquisitions of other leading brands.
Eye on People
Francine Bovard Headshot
Francine Bovard
Francine Bovard joins ASTM board

Francine Bovard, senior technical specialist with Arconic, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, will serve a three-year term on the ASTM International board of directors. Bovard has been with Arconic for 28 years, having previously served as a technical specialist with Alcoa and as a technician with Sandia National Laboratory. An ASTM International member since 2013, Bovard belongs to the committees on light materials and alloys (B07), fatigue and fracture (E08), additive manufacturing (F42), corrosion of metals (G01), and the joint ASTM/NACE committee on corrosion.

Mark Schoenborn Headshot
Mark Schoenborn
DeWys names new president

DeWys Manufacturing Inc., a fabricator and contract manufacturer in Marne, Michigan, named Mark Schoenborn as president. Schoenborn succeeds C.T. Martin, who served as president for the past five years. Martin will now assume a role on the newly formed advisory board for DeWys Manufacturing.

Wire producer seeks new CFO

Michael C. Gazmarian, Insteel Industries Inc.’s vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, has left the company to pursue other opportunities. The Mount Airy, North Carolina-based company has launched a search for Gazmarian’s successor.

Structural | Infrastructure
BY GRETCHEN SALOIS, SENIOR EDITOR
The steel industry has a whole new scope to add to their workload … what was once concrete is now steel.
Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
SpeedCore technology is changing how buildings are designed and constructed, while offering new work for fabricators
C

ityscapes are constantly evolving. A continuous cycle of razing and new construction, accompanied by a slew of cranes weaving through skylines from Boston, New York, Chicago to Los Angeles and Seattle—where earthquakes make high-rise construction particularly challenging—has caused the industry to question: Is there a faster way?

In August 2019, the final steel beam was added to Rainier Square Tower, “topping it off” as the first high-rise built using SpeedCore technology, a new and faster method of steel frame construction.

Welding
BY MARC AUGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER—AUTOMOTIVE, COHERENT INC.
Adjustable Ring Mode (ARM) fiber laser welding eliminates the problems commonly associated with applications like body-in-white (BIW) parts.
Hot spots
Advances in fiber laser technology improve aluminum welding
E

fforts to improve automotive fuel efficiency for gas-powered vehicles, along with the rise of electric cars, are creating a need for lighter weight materials in passenger vehicle designs. Using aluminum for certain body components, in particular, has proved its value in reducing vehicle weight without compromising strength and durability.

There are challenges, however, when welding the aluminum alloys to make body-in-white (BIW) parts. A new type of fiber laser technology solves the most serious challenge—namely “hot cracking”—when welding 6XXX series aluminum alloys.

Bending/Folding
By Lynn Stanley, Senior Editor
Fluid geometry
Clayton Industries’ ability to check and maintain tangent lines with Davi’s radius-checking vision system saves time and is more accurate.
FLUID
geometry
FLUID
geometry
Fabricator gets four machines in one with custom angle roll technology

M

ost people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply,” educator and author Dr. Stephen Covey said. Davi took this concept a step further when it designed and built a custom angle roll for Birmingham, Alabama-based Clayton Industries.  

The 52-year-old fabricator produces rolled beams, angles and tubes; structural bending comprises 40 percent of its business. The shop’s range and capacity—bending structural beams up to 40 in. wide and plate from 1/8 in. to 6 in. thick by 40 ft. long—gives Clayton Industries a strong base from which to service building and construction clients.

Press Brake/Tooling
BY LYNN STANLEY, SENIOR EDITOR
digital rendering of an ElectroBend
Higher order
All-electric technology gives fabricators energy efficiency, higher speeds and greater accuracy while reducing costs
D

eclining costs and versatile new technologies in hardware and software are making it easier for more job shops and manufacturers to embrace IoT and IIoT—even those with legacy equipment. Boschert USA took a different approach when it introduced a new line of servo-electric press brakes in late 2019.

“When you look at a press brake, what are the issues?” says Boschert USA President Greg Hoesly. The Butler, Wisconsin-based company is the exclusive North American importer for Boschert-Gizelis as well as Boschert GmbH of Germany and other European builders with products that include profile benders, horizontal ram benders and sheet metal fabrication tools.

Consumables
Metalworking Replacement Products & Tools
a storage container designed to protect tungsten welding electrodes
WELDING
Container protects tungsten electrodes
The Arc Saber is a storage container designed to protect tungsten welding electrodes. Suited for a toolbox or worktable, the container holds up to 19 1/8-in. (3.2mm) tungsten electrodes. The container is made from high-impact polyethylene and HDPLA plus plastic and a 12.5 lbs. pull-rated neodymium magnet is located in the base.

Diamond Ground Products Inc., Newbury Park, California, 805/498-3837, www.diamondground.com.

gas efficient nozzle that has a sleeve that reduces the amount of turbulence
LASER CUTTING
Laser nozzle decreases turbulence, slag
The gas efficient nozzle’s (GEN) has a sleeve that reduces the amount of turbulence during cutting and therefore decreases the amount of slag. The inner nozzle fits more securely, which means it won’t dislodge during cutting. An independent sleeve allows continuous contact with the plate during cutting, even over rough terrain. The nozzle will significantly save on gas consumption. Short piercing times allow for higher acceleration, higher productivity and feed rates.

American Torch Tip Co., Bradenton, Florida, 800/342-8477, www.americantorchtip.com.

cutoff and grinding wheels
ABRASIVES
Wheels provide cool, burr-free cutting
The CutFlex cutoff and grinding wheels are made with an aluminum oxide and ceramic blend that offers consistent performance at affordable prices. The wheels provide cool, burr-free cutting, aggressive stock removal and long life on all metals including stainless steel. They line is available in 2-in. to 6-in. diameters and thicknesses from 0.045 in. to 0.25 in.

Gemtex Abrasives, Toronto, 800/387-5100, www.gemtexabrasives.com.

Software Solutions/ERP
BY Lynn Stanley, Senior Editor
With DELMIAWORKS’ (IQMS) ERP software, manufacturers can monitor, track, trace and communicate production processes and data faster.
With DELMIAWORKS’ (IQMS) ERP software, manufacturers can monitor, track, trace and communicate production processes and data faster.
Born to run
Software helps fabricators adapt to the ebb and flow of industrial trends

I

n our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing.” Author Norman Maclean penned the words in his autobiography, “A River Runs Through It.” The book chronicles Maclean’s life on the Blackfoot River in early 20th century Montana.

For Steve Bieszczat, chief marketing officer for DELMIAWORKS (IQMS ERP), there is no clear line between ERP software and manufacturing but rather a “continuation of trends.” Headquartered in Paso Robles, California, DELMIAWORKS develops enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution system (MES) software for discrete and batch process production spaces. The software supplier has collected feedback from countless customers to make ongoing improvements to its products. “In a way, our system represents the combined wisdom of thousands of successful manufacturers,” Bieszczat says.

Deburring/Grinding
BY GRETCHEN SALOIS, SENIOR EDITOR
Osborn attachment types
Clean connection
Patented snap-on-and-off design changes how fabricators achieve smooth finishes
I

f you work with a cutoff wheel or grind wheel, you know firsthand that changeovers can be time consuming. In a high volume environment, that time lost to changing attachments adds up quickly. The latest in Bosch technology has simplified grinder attachments resulting in a simple on-and-off snap. It’s five times faster to change out attachments with no need for extra tools. When used with Osborn X-Lock tools, the attachments are safe and backward compatible with conventional grinders.

Tube & Pipe
BY GRETCHEN SALOIS, SENIOR EDITOR
Stable
structure
Producers’ customers remain confident after acquisitions create leadership shift
C

ompanies merge, and with that connection, change follows—in leadership, facilities and day-to-day operations. After Nucor Tubular Products (NTP) Group brought together the former Independence Tube, Southland Tube and Republic Conduit, the company assured its newfound customer base that it would provide expected reliability to existing as well as new customers.

NTP quelled the concerns of one of its customers, a Southeastern service center that sells $700 million worth of steel products per year. Consistency and open communication, including working with the same sales rep for more than a decade, has proven to this customer that NTP can navigate change. The service center sells wide-flange beams, plate and piling, merchant bars, pipe and tube to its network of North American customers.

Custom Fabricator
Know a great CUSTOM FABRICATOR? Tell us. Email Mark Koenig at mkoenig@ffjournal.net.
Beyond Reflection is a 16-meter-tall stainless steel sculpture by Lawrence Argent
Minimal Complexity
Hosted at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston, architect VLAD TENU’s winning entry in the Repeat Digital Fabrication Competition, Minimal Complexity was the highlight of the 2011 TEX-FAB 2.0 and Repeat exhibition. The sculpture was developed out of the London-based Romanian architect’s desire to create a minimal surface structure using modular construction. Composed of 2368 laser-cut 14-gauge aluminum pieces, the full-scale model is almost 4 m tall and was assembled over 120 man-hours.
Learn more about this and other Custom Fabricators at www.ffjournal.net/customfabricator
Photo: Vlad Tenu
President/Publisher
Editor-in-Chief
Michael D’Alexander
Editorial
Senior Editor
Lynn Stanley
Senior Editor
Gretchen Salois
Senior Contributing Editor
J. Neiland Pennington
Contributing Editor
Lauren Duensing
EDITORIAL OFFICES
Trend Publishing Inc.
123 W. Madison St., Suite 950, Chicago, IL 60602
312/654-2300, Fax: 312/654-2323, www.ffjournal.net
pRODUCTION & Design
VP Production
Carlotta Lacy
VP Creative
Matt LaFleur
Digital
Digital Manager
Mark Koenig
CORPORATE
President/Publisher
Michael D’Alexander
Vice President
Jim D’Alexander
VP Finance
Wayne Krusen
Business Manager
Traci Fonville
Circulation
Cynthia Lewis
advertising sales territories
Michael D’Alexander, President/Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
312/654-2309, Fax: 312/654-2323
mdalexander@ffjournal.net
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming

Jim D’Alexander, Vice President
770/862-0815, Fax: 312/654-2323
jdalexander@ffjournal.net
Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, W. New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee

Bill D’Alexander, Principal/Sales Manager
203/438-4174, Fax: 203/438-4948
bdalexander@ffjournal.net
Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, E. New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia; International

Bob D’Alexander, Principal/Sales Manager
616/916-4348, Fax: 616/942-0798
rdalexander@ffjournal.net
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin

Traci Fonville, Classifieds, Logos and Reprints
312/654-2325, Fax: 312/654-2323
tfon@ffjournal.net

FFJournal® (ISSN 1551-1006) February 2020 (Vol. 17, No. 2) is a registered trademark of Trend Publishing Inc. FFJournal® is published 10 times a year with a combined issue in July/August by Trend Publishing Inc., with its publishing office located at 123 W. Madison St., Suite 950, Chicago, Illinois 60602, 312/654-2300; fax 312/654-2323. Michael D’Alexander, President, Trend Publishing Inc. Copyright 2020 Trend Publishing Inc. All rights reserved under the United States, International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—mechanical, photocopying, electronic recording or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Trend Publishing Inc. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Trend Publishing Inc. Published free of charge for those who qualify. It is mailed at no cost to these qualified readers in the U.S., Canada and U.S. possessions. Single copies $14. Paid subscriptions in the U.S., $120/year. Canada, $140/year. Foreign subscriptions, $175/year surface mail and $255/year air mail. For subscription information, go to www.ffjournal.net or call 312-654-2300. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FFJournal® c/o Creative Data Services, Inc., 440 Quadrangle Drive Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Printed in the USA.
FF Journal logo
Thanks for reading our February 2020 issue!