Lots of different types of machining methods are familiar to manufacturers. Even if you don’t deal with all of them or maintain a factory full of every machine that’s out there, you can probably rattle off quite a few different types: CNC machines, EDM, waterjet cutting, and so on. Of course, for us at Helander, one type invariably comes to mind first: metal hydroforming.
One Fabtech show in a year is quite an event. But all the metalworking expo action isn’t in Chicago. This year’s Fabtech Canada 2012 expo, happening in Toronto from March 20 – 22nd, 2012, promises to be just as exciting and informative as its stateside counterpart. We found the January show to be overwhelmingly helpful, and won’t be attending Fabtech Canada this year. We will, however, point you in the direction of some of the most promising panels and events at the conference.
The new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is like nothing you’ve ever seen. It’s a super-efficient airplane that uses 20% less fuel than any other plane in its class. Did we mention that it does this with a range of 8,500 nautical miles while carrying up to 290 passengers? It’s the plane of the future because it saves fuel while helping handle the ever increasing number of domestic and international air passengers. It sounds so exciting that it might even be worth planning a vacation around riding in one.
Being able to bring our industry-leading metal spinning together with today’s green energy boom is on the top of Helander’s 2012 to-do-list, but we also know that we can make a difference right here in Lombard, Illinois.
You don’t have to be an industry insider to know that green and alternative energy have been a hot topic of conversation for several years. What you might not know, though, is just how far the reach of this paradigm shift extends. Manufacturing companies play an important role in constructing the components that play a key role in harnessing power sources like solar energy and hydrogen fuel. There are also indirect ways in which manufacturers contribute to the viability and sustainability of such operations. This week’s blog explores one of each.
So, you need a metal cylinder. Maybe it’s an enclosure, maybe it’s for piping or tubing, maybe it’ll even end up in someone’s kitchen as a fire extinguisher. First things first, though, you need to figure out how you’re going to get your hands on that cylinder. But wait: actually, you need more than one. You need thousands. So you’re probably going to want to have them made for you, rather than bought off the shelf. Now we’re getting somewhere, and this is where this blog may come in handy. Basically, there are two methods of producing cylinders like these: metal spinning, or deep-drawn stamping. As expert metal spinners, we’re here to tell you why this process is superior.
Metal forming and fabricating are our business here at Helander, so we’re lucky to be so close to the annual Fabtech conference held just up the road in Chicago, this year at McCormick Place. This year’s show, held from November 12th through November 14th, proved just as educational, interesting, and, most of all, fun as in years past. Walking around, taking in all the different booths and displays, it’s quickly apparent that a good 50% or more of the exhibits focus on metalforming – certainly of interest to us, but not quite up our alley, not quite the art of metal spinning.
