Growing Your Business through Innovation

This dynamic, practical presentation will provide a no-nonsense step-by-step approach to managing innovation. Robert Tucker is an internationally recognized authority on innovation and the author of numerous books, including Driving Growth Through Innovation, and Managing the Future. He is a former adjunct professor at UCLA, has appeared on ABC, NBC and PBS, and recently appeared as a featured guest on the CNBC series, “The Business of Innovation.”

Speaker: Robert Tucker, president, The Innovation Resource

Wednesday, November 16

General Session

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Fabtech Theater, Grand Concourse

Reshoring: Helping Manufacturers Understand the Total Cost of Offshoring Recent reports by the Boston Consulting Group and Accenture Consulting show that it is time for manufacturing to return to the United States. This presentation will help attendees recognize the true costs of offshoring. Attendees will receive a free copy of The Reshoring Initiative’s proprietary Total Cost of Ownership Estimator software, which helps to identify and calculate the total cost—including 25 hidden costs—of sourcing offshore.

Speaker: Harry Moser, founder, The Reshoring Initiative

Forming and Fabricating Track at a Glance

Monday, November 14

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Laser Marking—Process introduction; high-speed marking and engraving of metals; error proofing, using barcodes in harsh environments.

Equipment Safeguarding—The seven steps of successful safeguarding, beginning with risk assessment and ending with how to sustain a safety culture within your company.

1:30-3:30 p.m.

Punch Press Technology—Equipment-selection guidelines; CAD/CAM software to optimize machine versatility; process integration for profitable punching in a lean environment.

Estimating—Made-to-Order Manufacturing—Topics include request-for-quote management, material needs, operation time and large-assembly estimating.

Tuesday, November 15

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Press Brakes, with Technology Tour (on the show floor)—High-mix low-volume processing, to reduce setup time and scrap; hybrid technology; and use of offline programming to streamline part processes.

Getting Started with Robotics—Learn what robotic systems work best for your operation, how to evaluate robotic equipment and suppliers and how to effectively budget for robotic applications.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

General to Advanced Rollforming Concepts—Compare and contrast rollforming to other metalforming processes; learn about the latest advances in rollforming and the integration of punching, notching, welding, folding and robotics into flexible systems.

Wednesday, November 16

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Add-On Applications for Rollforming—The four basic methods of machine applications are addressed, as is the options for adding value-added operations to a rollforming line, such as inline punching and cutoff.

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Laser Joining Overview—An introduction to laser welding, covering materials, joint geometries, etc.; use of sensors, programming tools and techniques to develop high-quality and flexible robotic laser-welding processes; and use of multiaxis laser-welding systems to produce multiple spot welds.

Effectively Slitting and Blanking Coils—Best slitting practices; advances in cut-to-length and blanking lines; and precision slitting technology.

Robotic Automation—A practical guide to the use of intelligent robots in manufacturing, including discussion of current trends in vision-enabled robot technology.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Advancements in Coil and Sheet Leveling Technology—The available types of shape-control equipment for improving flatness and stability of flat-rolled sheet, plate and coils; the impact of part leveling on downstream manufacturing processes; and what it takes to produce laser-compliant sheets.

Advanced Laser Technology and Applications—What’s new in high-power disk lasers; an introduction to laser cladding with powder and hot-wire technology; and advances in laser-based strip splicing.

Thursday, November 17

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Part and Surface Cleaning Technologies—Hear about the environmentally safe alternative dry-ice cleaning method.

Automated Deburring—Compare and contrast the different types of deburring machines and abrasives, with tips on improving performance.

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Press Brake Troubleshooting—Trends in press-brake automation, machine utilization and hybrid alternatives; and how to select the appropriate tooling system (American, European and New Standard).

Stamping Track at a Glance

Monday, November 14

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Error-Proof Metalforming—Use of electronic digital and analog sensors to illustrate best practices in metalforming and assembly, with strategies for eliminating die crashes and minimizing die maintenance.

Stamping Advanced High-Strength Steels—Comparing and selecting tool steels for stamping advanced high-strength steels; and a tutorial on green lubricants.

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Increasing Productivity and Quality Monitoring—Use of sensors, transducers, RFID systems and other monitoring/tracking systems to enhance productivity; implementation of in-die part-quality monitoring and tool adjustments to increase machine utilization and reduce scrap rates.

AHSS Stamping Forensics and Green Fluid Technology—Green fluid technology for metal stamping; valuation of die clearance, piercing loads, tool geometry, tool-steel materials and coatings to improve productivity when processing high-strength steels in metalforming plants.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Die Design and Efficiency—Die planning and cost estimating in the cloud, focused on the transformation to virtual tool and die engineering; the use of cloud computing by metalformers to enable tier collaboration when planning, purchasing and producing dies; and gaining a competitive advantage through in-die fastener installation.

Tuesday, November 15

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Beyond Forming: Fabrication in the Stamping Press—Learn how servo-press technology can deliver significant productivity gains from motion-curve modifications, and can eliminate the trial-and-error setup process in metalforming plants.

Improving Stamping Efficiency—A systematic approach to production and tryout mapping, including an overview of the common stamping variables; automated data collection and OEE reporting; and material-utilization planning and engineering strategies.

Wednesday, November 16

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Best Practices for Manufacturing: World Class Safety and How to Compete Globally—Learn how one metal-stamping company has developed a worldclass safety culture and as a result has worked more than 7 yr. without a single OSHA 300-log recordable incident. Also, hear case-study presentations describing use of in-de assembly, welding and measurement to allow metalformers to compete on a global stage.

Vibration Control and Installation Methods—Learn the relationship between installation methods used for vibration control and their impact on machine performance, productivity and the surrounding environment; compare and contrast a variety of isolators and mounting systems.

Management Track at a Glance

Monday, November 14

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Introduction to True Kaizen—How to improve safety, quality, delivery and morale.

Creating an Employee Empowered Culture to Drive Performance—Learn how to choose the right employees, provide them with the right training and manage them to drive superior performance.

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lean 101: Principles of Lean Manufacturing—Gain an understanding of the differences between traditional push vs. lean pull systems, and how lean reduces or eliminates operating costs, cycle time and non-value-added activities.

Recruiting and Selecting the Best Employees—Developing relevant job descriptions and conducting effective behavior-based interviews.

Automation Strategies to Streamline your Job Shop Office—Use of shop-floor data-collection software to go paperless, eliminate errors and improve data flow throughout the organization.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Use 5S to Control Workspace—How to perform a 5S event and deploy 5S throughout the facility.

Developing a Winning Sales Force—Learn how to recruit and retain salespeople, and manage an outsourced sales force; how to effectively and economically increase and diversify sales with limited resources, and the advantages and disadvantages of selling direct or via commissioned reps.

Strategic Planning for the Job Shop—Learn how to build and implement a strategic plan for your operation and gain a competitive advantage.

Tuesday, November 15

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Visual Controls to Improve Work—How to establish a good visual workplace and reduce waste, improve morale and make work easier.

Top 10 Secrets of Lean Success for Managers—Techniques to tear down lean-implementation barriers.

Social Marketing on Speed: a Crash Course—Learn powerful and free tools for harnessing the power of social networking, blogging and autoresponders.

Financial Planning Strategies—Learn the six mistakes that consistently cause businesses to fail, and how to avoid them; discuss how operating with inaccurate data, lack of intelligent market and business feedback and ineffective internal controls can lead to potentially lethal problems; and receive a crash course on how to sell your company or utilize private-equity firms to grow the business with minimal risk.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Demand Pull in the Fabrication Job Shop—Learn how effective use of a demand-pull process leads to sound materials and management practices to help fabricators achieve objectives for lean manufacturing.

Five Marketing Moves for Tomorrow—Practical techniques to attract new business, keep core customers and increase sales.

Wednesday, November 16

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Low-Volume High-Variety Production No Problem for Lean—Tackling the myth that lean doesn’t work in a job-shop environment.

Sales and Marketing Strategies to Attract Profitable Business—Learn how to define your value proposition, and how to target customers that will benefit the most, and provide the bottom-line results you want.

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Total Productive Maintenance for the Fabrication Job Shop—Learn how to identify key sources of productivity loss through a bona-fide TPM program.

Finding and Fixing Profit Destroyers in High Mix Operations—Discover techniques to find, assess and fix problems with scheduling, changeovers and other issues that can limit efficiency and productivity.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Team Building on Steroids—Uncover the three “secret ingredients” of performance management.

Four Steps to Improving Sales and Productivity in a Recession—This live brainstorming session promises to identify as many as 100 s to identify and solve costly problems in a business.

Thursday, November 17

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

The Value of People in Lean—Sustaining a lean environment requires a commitment from the workforce; here’s some guidance on the intangibles in today’s competitive markets.

Cloud Computing Basics—The benefits of cloud-delivered IT systems, with a case study that illustrates how rapid implementation of a cloud-based system improved quality, productivity and profitability of a steel-processing plant.

Leadership: Critical Communications and Team Development—Discuss the attitudes and behaviors that crate barriers to effective problem solving.

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Establishing a Worldclass Safety Culture—Tips for reducing injury rates while enhancing profitability; managing the workers’ compensation process by developing and integrating a cost-containment process into your operations. MF