4 Factors Influencing Cut Edge Quality (and Why it Matters Anyway) When cutting metal there’s usually a lot of thought given to speed and accuracy. Those are important but we’d argue edge quality is another factor to consider. It’s also one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, except here at Wiley. We think about…
Steel is the Brady Bunch of fabrication metals. There’s a lot of them and they’re all related in one way or another. Plus, each type of steel has its own unique quirks and peculiarities. Many fans of the TV show had a favorite actor they followed through all five seasons. That’s okay for TV characters…
Every once in awhile, history has a way of reminding us not of our differences, but how much we have in common. Depending on how old you are, you may remember events such as the assassination of a president and then of a civil rights leader. We were brought together by the devastating loss of…
Just for a moment, think back to High School. Not the parts you’ve spent years trying to forget, but the English class. Were you ever set those “compare and contrast” assignments? Well, we’re going to attempt one here. But rather than comparing and contrasting Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, (remember those rogues from “On The…
Q: I came across a bending issue that has me completely baffled. I have 0.984-in. die and a 0.03-in. (1-mm) punch. We were working with 0.125-in.-thick 6061-T6 aluminum, but we were experiencing cracking problems, so we switched to 1100-O aluminum, with a specified tensile strength of just 13,000 PSI. According to the 20 percent rule, I…
Quite a bit can be said for state-of-the-art press brakes; a lot can be said for the tried-and-true too. Getting the most from your press brake, however, is not about the type of machine, method of forming, or tooling—it’s about having a common understanding of the press brake throughout your organization and using that information…
Question: First, let me say that I have enjoyed reading your articles and books related to forming theory. I have been applying the principles you’ve covered in the shops I’ve worked for. I recently started with a different OEM to assist with its fabrication department. We use 304 stainless steel almost 95 percent of the time….
One may suppose that stainless steels do not stain. Yet, you will be mistaken if you think so. Stainless steels do not stain as easily as other iron metals. However, they are not actually stainless. Similar to standard steel, it is possible to mark out stainless steel through fingerprints and oil. They lose their color…
Bottoming does not seem as widespread as before. However, well-informed operators have to master efficient and safe ways of performing it. Question: At the workshop, we still face troubles related to over-bending, particularly with certain material types and parts. We have been bottoming some parts to provide a 90-degree angularity for bends. We are considering…
Even the most advanced press brakes and tools have to handle variations of materials. Question: Our company has acquired 2 new press brake machines. Despite the fact that they offer many options, do not actually meet our need. We still face problems, such as the inability to perform angle repetition. The tools we have are…