Page 5 - MetalForming September 2009

Serving those who create precision metal products using stamping, fabricating and other value-added processes.
Cover Story
16 Robotic Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
...does it make sense for your metalforming company? As the metal-fabrication industry continues to deal with the shortage of skilled welders, they frequently turn to automating their welding operations. Becoming more common is the implementation of robotic GTAW, bringing speed and productivity gains to users of this precise welding process.
Features
12 Ag Stamper Takes Control of Part Flatness
With stamping and assembly work for the agricultural industry now accounting for more than half of its production schedule, GMP Metal Products counts on EDI, automation, QDC and other lean-manufacturing tools to efficiently schedule and produce more than 700 different part numbers.
Tooling Technology
22 The Die-Spring Evolution
Die springs play a critical role in determining the quality of metal stampings, and die- spring manufacturers continue to improve spring shape, tensile properties, coatings and tolerances to keep up with increase demands from metalformers.
September 2009 — Volume 43 — Number 8
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12
Commentaries
Editorial ........................5
It’s Time to Awaken the Sleeping Giant
Brad F. Kuvin
Tooling by Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Pressure Strippers—Part 2
Peter Ulintz
Metalforming Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . 26
A Low-Cost Approach to Sensor Application Simulation
George Keremedjiev
TheScienceofForming ............30
Why Work Hardening Is So Important
Stuart Keeler
TheBusinessofMetalforming.........32
First Impressions: Stand Apart from the Crowd
Michael Bleau
www.metalformingmagazine.com HOT off the PRESS
Daily News for the Industry
BlackmanonTaxes................34
With the Economy Lousy, Now is a Great Time to Transfer Your Business to Your Kid(s) Irving L. Blackman
YouandTheLaw .................36
New OSHA Developments
Douglas B. M. Ehlke
Departments
News Fronts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 TechUpdate .....................8 Software for Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 10 Classifieds......................38 Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 ReaderAction ...................40
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METALFORMING / SEPTEMBER 2009 3
ABOUT THE COVER: Robotic gas tungsten arc welding provides a number of quality-control advantages to metal- formers, including automated, repeatable, uniform and con- sistent welds, with increased productivity—particularly when considering the speed of torch repositioning between welds. Using a robotic arm provides repeatable access to welds that might otherwise be difficult to reach manually or that might require torch rotation. Learn more about this value-added process beginning on page 16.
UNITED WE STAND
Contents