The Fabricator - Sample Issue

Clarification

In the January 2007 issue of The FABRICATOR, a tentative contract agreement with UAW Local 1968 and ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Florence, S.C., was included in the Industry News section. The editorial staff failed to mention that the union officially ratified the contract a few weeks later. The three-year contract includes a new 24-hour, seven-day-a-week work schedule at the plant, which previously operated only five days a week. The editors regret the omission.

Metalform Mexico doubles size

Nearly 2,000 attendees viewed interactive displays and equipment demonstrations for the metal stamping, tool and die, forming, and fabricating industry during Metalform Mexico.

Held Nov. 7-9, 2006, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City, the show featured 110 companies displaying their products in 11,000 net square feet of floor space. The show has nearly doubled in size since its debut in 2004.

In addition to the exhibits, the show featured the Metalform Mexico Educational Conference. There, 75 attendees chose from 23 technical sessions in five focused tracks that encouraged new ways of improving productivity and profitability.

Chicago Roll president dies

Chicago Roll Co. has announced that its president and owner, Harry Focht, has died. Focht was in the roll tooling business for more than 38 years.

Chicago Roll Co. will continue under the leadership of Jeff George, who has been appointed president and COO.

Freight transportation costs
expected to decrease in 2007

Based on results of a recent survey from equity research firm Morgan Stanley, the cost of shipping goods by truck will grow only slightly in 2007, at a much slower pace than in recent years.

The Freight Pulse survey, based on feedback from companies using various modes of transportation to move their freight—truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), and rail—indicates softer demand in the marketplace for motor carriers, with rate increases of 2. 5 percent for truckload, 1.5 percent for regional LTL, and 1.6 percent for national LTL.

Rail rates, however, will continue to rise sharply, with a 6. 4 percent increase expected, which is up from 5. 9 percent in the previous Freight Pulse survey of spring 2006. However, there is a feeling that railroad service is improving somewhat, as respondents gave the railroads an overall score of 6.1 out of a possible 10 for “delivery when expected.”

Fabrication Solutions

Using Mate Trumpf Tooling

MATE RollerBall® Create stiffening ribs and decorative beads in your sheet metal parts without a secondary operation. Comprehensive kit also includes alternate configuration to produce offset forms and custom embosses. www.mate.com/rollerball

MATE SheetMarker®

Create identification marking, serial number marking, company names, and logos in your sheet metal parts. Multiple tool configurations enable marking from a light etch to a heavy scribe for maximum design flexibility.

www.mate.com/sheetmarker

MATE SnapLock_™

Finally, an alternative to

welding operations. Mate SnapLock creates

an interlocking tab in your sheet metal parts for simple fabrication without welding. Ideal for sheet metal enclosures, racking systems, and more. www.mate.com/snaplock

MATE HexLock_™

A new and innovative forming assembly engineered to provide a reliable and secure method of retaining common threaded fasteners in sheet metal www.mate.com/hexlock