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DUST IN THE WIND?
The free market price for natural gas is about two-thirds of the subsidy given to wind, yet wind still cannot compete in the open market. With our nation being challenged to reduce its debt and shrink the federal budget, Mike Riley explains how the reality of business economics is beginning to erase some of the hype about this one-time darling of renewable energy.
Label Everything
Labeling isn’t difficult, but it seems to be a part of 5S that’s often overlooked or ignored. Rick Bohan of Chagrin River Consulting examines why it’s easy to get everything straightened up initially, but the work area will revert back to the original mess if labeling isn’t carried out.
The Art of Making Sales from Those Who Do It Best
It’s possible to teach people how to sell, but it’s also possible to learn how to make sales from those who do it successfully. They are true experts and their real world experiences as practitioners of the art makes them valuable. John Graham of Graham Communications examines four salespeople whose stories clarify what selling is all about, and make it easy to see why they are successful.
Shop Floor Problem Solving (Part Two)
Rick Bohan of Chagrin River Consulting explains why problems won’t go away because you think you have identified who is responsible for them. They only go away when you’ve developed a culture of rapid problem identification and resolution.
NEW ROBOTIC WELDING PROCESS CONTROL TOOLS RAISE OVERALL EQUIPMENT EFFECTIVENESS
Geoff Lipnevicius of Lincoln Electric shows how integrated vision and production monitoring are two key tools that extract and convert data into information to make decisions on cost savings, quality improvement and higher productivity.
MAKING SAFETY TALKS BETTER
Phil La Duke of Rockford Greene International explains why the first step in improving your safety talk program is to end it. That’s right. Or, at the very least, restructure it to the point where it is unrecognizable as having roots in what you are currently doing. Here’s how and why.
PREVENTING ARC BLOW IN ROBOTIC TANDEM MIG WELDING APPLICATIONS
Geoff Lipnevicius of Lincoln Electric explains how, by understanding the mechanics of arc blow and how to correctly diagnose it in the weld, operators should be able to eliminate it from their applications.
ONE LAST WISH: A SLOW BOIL
Mike Riley explains why our newly-elected Honorables must fight Boiler MACT, an EPA proposal that could devastate America’s manufacturing base and place 800,000 jobs at risk over ridiculous requirements on commercial and industrial boilers.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES TIG WELDING PRECISION
Advanced TIG technology provides the ability to tailor the arc specifically to your application. Nick Peterson of Miller Electric Mfg. shares some facts that will help determine the potential for advanced TIG technology in your plant.
TAKING A GLANCE AT LOW ALLOY FILLER METALS
The goal when selecting a low alloy filler metal is to obtain the right mechanical and chemical properties in the completed weldment. Tim Hensley of Hobart Brothers explains why no single low alloy filler metal is going to fit the bill for all of your applications, and shares some tips on how to make the proper filler selection.
Solid Wire or Flux Cored Wire
If only the cost of the wire and shielding gas are considered, metal cored electrodes are rarely selected, but if you consider the total cost per pound of deposited weld metal, cored wires may actually save you money. Jerry Mathison of ESAB explains why.
Torch Height Control for Automated Plasma Cutting Applications
Here’s why accurate control of the torch to work distance during all phases and types of plasma cutting operations can be the key to dramatic improvements in cut quality, consumable life, as well as productivity and throughput of the cutting machine.
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