March 2018
Digital Issue
A gas-fired power plant construction boom that complements advances in renewable wind and solar power generation offers great business opportunities for fabricators that supply parts and assemblies used throughout the power generation industry, and here is some of the latest machinery, tooling and systems that can help to make them more competitive.
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The world of a CAM programmer may seem idyllic: They build toolpath strategies in logical sequences, select cutters from a library, and calculate and simulate results on the monitor. But there are complex challenges when moving from the sterile programming office to the shop floor, where the theoretical process becomes real.
Using a reamer can extend gun and consumable life, reduce downtime and labor costs for component changeover, improve weld quality and reduce rework, and help shorten the return on investment in a robotic welding system. To achieve these benefits and more, here are some of the reamer best practices to follow.
Laser welding is becoming more common to a wider audience that is discovering how its unique properties can create stronger and more aesthetic weld seams than conventional GMAW processes, and how it can tackle weld geometries that were once impractical or downright impossible.
The No. 890 from Grieve is a 350 deg F electrically heated cabinet oven with a motor operated vertical lift door.
If you run your roll former 24/7 without maintenance, you’re playing with fire. Every maintenance program is a little bit different, but this general outline is useful for any metal roll forming machine. It includes some points of emphasis to consider, and some things that may get overlooked.
The glut of natural gas now being pumped from U.S. shale fields is fueling a gas power plant construction boom and replacing conventional coal-fired generation systems with cleaner, sustainable gas-fired technology that complements advances in wind, hydroelectric and solar power generation. That’s good news for fabricators who supply parts and assemblies used in power plant construction and repair.
Coal-fired power plants are turning to ash removal conveyors that eliminate the need and use of ash ponds and support EPA regulations on the safe disposal of coal ash in landfills and surface impoundments. This job shop fabricated five of these large, sophisticated submerged scrapper conveyor systems, which one power plant now uses to recycle coal ash, conserve natural resources and save energy.
For some insights into remaining successful and competitive, take a closer look at how this fabrication shop won more structural business by investing in an automated beam line that transformed their entire operation into becoming more efficient and competitive.
What happens when demand for parts from a supplier increases so that an OEM can scale up production? Determining the ideal time to transition to a more economical alternative can be challenging, but a “one-stop” parts supplier can scale with demand, facilitating the transition to hard tooling, mixing and matching metalworking techniques for multi-component assemblies, and incorporating hybrid and secondary tooling approaches to further reduce costs.
During construction, miles of pipelines are fabricated from a variety of materials with variable diameters and nominal widths. To save time and reduce costs, automated CNC tube bending machines can bend, measure and adjust 3D pipe systems in a single operation – without welding – with a measuring system integrated into the bending tool.
Robot-assisted systems are taking over more and more tasks that follow the sawing process, starting with removal of the cut parts and continuing on through deburring, weighing, centring and marking, all the way into sorting and stacking on pallets or in containers.
The operating profile of how electricity is produced is changing, but one thing has not changed: turbines remain a critical centerpiece of the next generation of power plants currently under construction, as well as those planned for the future.
The world of a CAM programmer may seem idyllic: They build toolpath strategies in logical sequences, select cutters from a library, and calculate and simulate results on the monitor. But there are complex challenges when moving from the sterile programming office to the shop floor, where the theoretical process becomes real.
Take a look at how Alfa Romeo uses the innovative and flexible OpenGate framing system from Comau for impressive high speed construction of their luxury Giulia automobile.
The changing power plant landscape involves a lot of new plant construction and conversion of older plants that are replacing their coal-fired boilers with natural gas boilers to retain the same power generation capacity – all of which is good news for welding shops that supply parts and assemblies for power plant construction and repair.
Using the best possible pressure vessel welding process is critical for durable welds that are free from defects. What is the best process for pressure vessel fabrication? Here is a closer look at many of the potential factors to consider.
An automated welding environment can be too congested or dangerous for operators to directly monitor the welding tip while under operation. How can they properly monitor the welding process remotely?
Using a reamer can extend gun and consumable life, reduce downtime and labor costs for component changeover, improve weld quality and reduce rework, and help shorten the return on investment in a robotic welding system. To achieve these benefits and more, here are some of the reamer best practices to follow.
Laser welding is becoming more common to a wider audience that is discovering how its unique properties can create stronger and more aesthetic weld seams than conventional GMAW processes, and how it can tackle weld geometries that were once impractical or downright impossible.
Though welding operators often assume that the filler metal is the source of a wire feeding problem, it’s important to consider other common causes before taking any corrective steps. Don’t assume that cleaning lube off the wire or adding more lube is the answer. While there are many potential causes to poor wire feeding, many of them have simple solutions.
If you run your roll former 24/7 without maintenance, you’re playing with fire. Every maintenance program is a little bit different, but this general outline is useful for any metal roll forming machine. It includes some points of emphasis to consider, and some things that may get overlooked.
Small and lightweight cast aluminum VariBlast Compact Safety Air Guns from EXAIR can produce up to one pound of force, which is great for light to medium duty applications.
Industry 4.0 technologies, particularly given their recent price drops, are already shaping up 2018 to be the year where VR, AI and other new and exciting technologies make their way onto the plant floor.
Take a closer look at some of the cutting tools that can help metalworking shops respond quickly and deliver fast turnarounds of parts and assemblies used in next generation power plant construction, conversions of traditional plants to new machinery, and maintenance and repair of current and future plant operations.
Are you facing a complex bending challenge, a unique part design or press brake productivity dilemma? If so, it’s time to consider investing in custom press brake tooling now that can pay off in spades down the road through increased bending performance and improved part quality.
Stabilizer systems that adjust quickly, adapt and stack easily, and quickly integrate into existing setups can really pay off by removing the difficult-to-diagnose part movement that makes fine finishes, tight tolerances and clean welds unattainable.
Abrasive tools come in different sizes, grains and styles for completing grinding and surface finishing jobs. So how do you know which choice is right for your application? Here are some of the key factors to help you make the right decision.
The long-established technology of coordinate measuring machines is now being challenged in myriad applications by the fast-emerging, highly advanced science of blue light scanning.
