Tag: metal fabrication

Laser Cutting Or Waterjet Cutting?

Manufacturers typically use one of two major cutting processes when cutting material for a project. These are known as laser cutting and water jet cutting. The choice of one or the other may be better depending on the type of material used and the desired end result. This article explains some of the basic differences between these fabrication processes and the materials and types of projects that they work well with.

Laser Cutting

A laser cutter relies on gas, typically CO2, for energy. The CO2 is transmitted through a beam, guided by mirrors, and directed at the material that will be cut. With CO2 lasers, the laser source is located inside the machine, and the beam can output between 1500 and 2600 Watts, which makes safety a primary concern and can occasionally increase the price point on a laser cutting job. Materials and applications, as well as precision and safety, are important factors to think about when considering laser cutting.

Materials and Applications

Laser cutters work well with a wide variety of materials, making them an easy choice for plastic, glass, wood, and most metals. It is important to note that laser cutters cannot be used on reflective metals. It can also work on material combinations as long as that combination consists of materials with similar melting points. If the materials have different melting points, it can be rather difficult to cut. Sandwich structures with cavities cannot be cut at all using a laser, and materials with limited access prove difficult as well. 3D material cutting is also hard to manage because of the rigid beam guidance with the mirrors. 

Laser cutters do well with materials that range between 0.12 in and 0.4 in thickness and are commonly used to cut flat sheets of medium thickness steel. Typically, a laser cutter performs cutting, welding, drilling, engraving, ablation, and structuring.           

Precision and Safety

Lasers are great when you want precision. The minimum size of a laser cutting slit can reach 0.006 in, depending on the speed of the laser. It is good to note that thinner workpieces may suffer from gas pressure if the proper distance cannot be maintained, and partial burring does occur frequently. Deformation and minor structural changes can occur as a result of thermal stress, and the cut material will appear striated. 

Laser cutting produces smoke and dust, and some plastics and metals may produce toxic fumes, so being aware that those could impact time and cost is important. The overall risk involved in working with laser cutting machines is very low, however, and your time and budget can benefit from the minimal amount of waste produced and subsequent ease of cleanup. 

Waterjet Cutting

Waterjet cutters use pressurized water to cut materials. There are often abrasives such as garnets and aluminum oxide added to increase cutting ability.  The overall process mimics erosion in nature, just at a much higher speed and concentration: a high-pressure pump drives the water through rigid hoses, resulting in a forceful water jet—a typical water jet can output between 4 to 7 kilowatts. Unlike a laser cutter, where the laser source is located inside the machine, the work area and pump are often separate.     

Material and Applications

Water jets can cut virtually any material including combination materials—with combination materials. However, water jets pose the threat of delamination. They can sometimes handle 3D material cutting, and exhibit limited ability with sandwich structures and cavities. Cutting materials with limited access is possible but difficult. 

Water jets usually perform cutting, ablation, and structuring, specifically with materials like stone, ceramics, and thick metals. Materials that range in thickness from 0.4 to 2 inch benefit from water jet cutting.

Precision and Safety

Waterjet cutting is not quite as precise as laser cutting, with a minimum cut size slit of .02”. Because of the high level of force used, thin, small, parts do not fare well and must be handled carefully. Although thermal stress is not an issue and burring doesn’t occur in the cut, the surface of the material will appear sand-blasted as a result of the added abrasive to the waterjet. The waterjet cutting process is quite noisy, and requires a significant amount of clean up, which could mean a bit more labor cost. There is also a large amount of waste that occurs as a result of the mixed water and abrasive. 

 

At Yarbrough industries, we specialize in laser and waterjet cutting. Learn more about our services and how we can help you with your next project.

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fabrication, laser cutting, metal fabrication, metalwork, waterjet cutting

Why You Should Hire A Local Machine Shop

machine-repair

When you need to hire a machine shop, it’s important to work with someone you can trust to get the job done right the first time. Working with a local company makes this much more likely. But why?

A local machine shop offers several advantages. When you are weighing your options, consider the following benefits of working with someone in your own backyard and what you should look for when doing so:

    • You can be more specific: Clear communication and detailed specifics are essential to getting the end result you desire. Being able to deliver this information in person allows you to make sure your parameters are accurately conveyed and your machine shop understands exactly what you need. You can specify the tolerances needed and work with the local company to achieve accurate measurements and optimal results. 
    • You can make roughness smooth: An important aspect of your project is determining the desired roughness of the surface. Do you want smooth components, with a very polished surface? This depends greatly on the functionality of the parts. A local professional can explain how the roughness will affect the performance of your equipment and work with you to decide what roughness is best for your project.
    • You can choose wisely: The materials you use for your manufacturing affect the final durability and performance. It also greatly affects the cost of production. Your local machine shop will review your options with you and let you personally examine various materials to determine which is best. You may even be able to look at similar products the shop has made in the past to make an informed comparison.
    • You can enjoy savings: A local shop can save you both time and money. Enjoy a smaller budget by saving on delivery costs. Complete your project faster by cutting out delivery wait times. By working with someone local, you won’t be wondering where your parts are in transit or when the project will be completed.
    • You can be involved: When you work with a local machine shop, you can be actively involved in the manufacturing process. This will provide peace of mind and a better overall experience with production.
    • You can complete the process: Once the machine shop has designed and manufactured your piece, they can also install it. It is typically easier for the same professionals who created the part to also perform the installation. Working with someone local makes this possible.
    • You can help your community: Obviously, we all want to do what we can to ensure that the community we live in is becoming better every year. Working with a local business helps your own community and you know that they will provide reliable, timely service to keep their reputation spotless.

Shop local with Yarbrough Industries! You’ll enjoy the advantages of working with a local machine shop right here in the heart of the Ozarks while receiving the best quality from some of the top professionals in the industry. Reach out to us today with any questions or to get started on your next project.

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Best return on investment, choosing a metal fabricator, expert welder, fabrication, Gas Metal Arc Steel Welding, metal fabrication, metal fabrication shop, metal projects

Tips To Improve Manufacturing Efficiency

Every manufacturer dreams of ways to increase productivity, reduce costs, and maximize profits. Every one of those goals can be achieved by increasing efficiency at your manufacturing plant.

Although there is a common idea that increasing efficiency means cutting costs as much as possible, that isn’t always the case. Cutting corners often contributes to a reduction in product quality. However, there are several things any company can do to improve efficiency out in the plant without sacrificing the quality of your products. Check out these methods you can implement to improve efficiency at your manufacturing plant.

1. Evaluation

The first step in any progress is to evaluate and determine what is working or what isn’t. Obviously, you will have a hard time identifying areas that need improvement if you don’t first examine your current workflow. Three main areas can typically determine what changes are needed in your workflow:

Labor

  • Do your employees have the skills to perform the tasks they need to do efficiently and effectively?
  • Have they been achieving your determined objectives?
  • What is the time cost to complete certain jobs?
  • Are there any potential ways to speed up completion time?

Processes

Once you’ve analyzed your labor needs, it’s good to investigate if your processes are the most efficient. This process involves finding out whether the stages in your production typically go as planned. More importantly, looking at your processes can help you discover where the pain points and bottlenecks prevent you from being as efficient as possible. 

Equipment and Technology

The third area you need to evaluate is your equipment and technology. Does all your equipment work properly? Is your technology the most optimal for your current business needs? How easily can you make changes to production? Is there anything you can do to increase efficiency through technology? (Pallet Dispensers are a great investment for this.)

Let’s explore a little more in-depth ways to use your evaluation to improve efficiency in your industry. 

2. Labor

In manufacturing as well as other industries, employee training is an essential and ongoing process. Obviously, training employees on new equipment and technology is the best way to ensure you are enhancing your value in them. Employee training is also an excellent retention tactic because every employee wants to have the opportunity to develop their abilities and reach their full potential. 

That’s why it is important not to limit training and education to only the equipment and technology. Your manufacturing business process will run more smoothly if everyone can understand the company’s policies and the right way to communicate with each other.

3. Processes

Streamlining your processes and ensuring that you are effectively organized can gain you an incredible amount of efficiency. The organization is the key to an efficient workspace. Pay attention to your manufacturing plant, the layout, the spaces for workers and heavy equipment to get in and out, and how each area is used.

A few things you need to check:

  • Are all the tools easy to find?
  • Are staff able to easily pick up all the raw materials or finished goods?
  • Is the packing and shipping area close to where the finished goods are placed?
  • Are the forklifts able to easily move around your manufacturing plant?

Another area to look at when evaluating processes is how much material waste you have. One of the biggest issues and most expensive areas in manufacturing plants is material waste. Here are some ways to reduce it:

  • Decrease materials while packing your products.
  • Recycle, or if you can’t do it yourself, resell the scraps to a recycling center.
  • Utilize all available materials for creating new products

Supply chain management is another zone that is often forgotten when looking at ways to improve efficiency, but it can make an incredible difference. There is no easier way to improve efficiency than automating your business processes. Supply chain management is one of the most important segments in the manufacturing business. However, if the process is still run manually, then optimized efficiency will be difficult to achieve. With sophisticated supply chain management software, you can automate various processes, from tracking inventory across multiple manufacturing plants, setting up inventory levels, ordering raw materials to suppliers, to shipping orders to customers.

4. Equipment

You can have the very best employees, but if your equipment is outdated or doesn’t work properly, it will be a challenge to improve your workplace efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to invest in modern equipment that allows your processes to run better. Advanced equipment also helps you reduce costs for repairing damage and increasing the productivity of your employees. There are also options for equipment that specifically address efficiency hang-ups, like pallet dispensers.

Obviously, having efficient, modern equipment is a huge way to improve efficiency, but it is also important to keep it maintained. Some equipment may still be used for a longer period of time if treated properly. The new equipment also needs to be maintained so that it can be used to the fullest.  And as you already know, maintaining equipment is far cheaper than replacing it. So, never wait to care for a piece of equipment until it is damaged. A better idea is to conduct preventive maintenance according to the type of equipment regularly. 

Yarbrough Industries is here to help you with that maintenance on hydraulic equipment and more. Contact Us today to see how we can help your company operate more efficiently.

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manufacturing, metal fabrication, metal projects, metalwork, Yarbrough Industries

Saving Money On Metal Fabrication

In every area of life, we are all looking for ways to save money, cut costs, and squeeze out every penny when it comes to our budget. No matter if it’s a trip to the grocery store, buying a car, or looking to repurpose an abandoned warehouse for something new, we all want the best quality at the best price possible. There are situations where the best price isn’t necessarily the lowest, but knowing the difference will give you the confidence you need to make an informed decision.

This is especially true when it comes to metal fabrication. Although there may not be coupons or weekly ads to compare prices, when you begin getting the bids for a job, it becomes a heavy task to sift through the facts and figures to try to ensure you are hiring the right fabricator or welder for the job. Every job has many different factors that have to be considered, but typically the bid’s total dollar amount is one of the most things you can look at.

When you are getting ready to request bids on an upcoming project, here are a few tips that can help keep estimates low and lead times short. Keep in mind, these are suggestions and you can alter each of them to fit your specifications and needs at any particular time.

Provide shop-ready drawings.

By providing your own drawings, you can eliminate the engineering process that many fabrication companies spend additional money on while forming their estimated bid.

Provide a completion date. 

Every fabrication company has a different workload based on multiple factors. This means that your desired delivery date will impact their bid price and ability to fit the project into their schedule.

Provide addresses and contacts.

It is not uncommon for fabricators to do a majority of the work on-site, which can help shorten lead times considerably. By having this information upfront, you allow each metal shop to determine a closer estimate of their costs based on the specifications of the job site.

Provide load specifications if possible. 

These include specs for tension, environmental loads, equipment limitations or restrictions, or even equipment cut sheets. This can provide them with valuable information on how they will be pricing your bid and if they will need to custom order anything.

Provide engineering drawings

Provide engineering drawings or basic arrangement drawings if possible. Once again, these small things allow estimators to have a clearer picture of the project in its entirety. That enables them to provide a more realistic bid total. Plus, their bid total won’t need to include costs related to this prep work.

Provide any plans and profiles available.

To reiterate for the third time, the more information you can provide prior to getting the bid, the more realistic and accurate that bid will be.

If you are ever in doubt about what you should provide, always err on the side of too much. Communication is key to more precise bids and the more detail you include, the closer to a factual total you will end up with. As an interested customer, the more information you can provide upfront, the better.

Another thing it is important to remember when you are considering a fabrication job is that if you need to make any major changes to these pre-stated specifications AFTER a job begins, it can extend the completion date out beyond the deadline and tack on extra costs that weren’t accounted for in the contingency figures. By being prepared in advance and knowing what you want from the start, your metal fabricator can actually get to work and complete the project as efficiently as possible.

Need to Request for Quote from Yarbrough Industries? Contact us anytime!

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Tags:

fabrication, metal fabrication, metal fabrication shop, metal projects, metalwork

Training With Airgas To Reduce Costs And Improve Efficiency And Quality

Yarbrough Industries recently attended a training by Airgas on “Unlocking The Hidden Costs of Welding”.

What We Covered with Airgas

This class covered the Gas Metal Arc Welding of mild steel using multiple metal transfer modes, including Short Circuit, Globular and Repelled Globular, Projected Streaming and Pulse Spray.

The class taught our technicians better ways to identify and quantify weld quality standards to ensure our customers have only the best quality products. It also educated us on new ways to develop welding procedures that meet those standards, while increasing productivity and cost-effectiveness.

Airgas Training Focus

The course focused on training our welders, operators, supervisors and management on their specific applications to create an easier workflow. Quality standards were one of the most important aspects that were repeated because they impact both cost and productivity.

Training Yarbrough Industry technicians to become even better at their jobs means we can be more productive with less and pass those cost savings on to our customers.

Treating welding as an exact science where all variables are tightly controlled helps each individual to consistently meet quality standards, ensuring a better final product. One of the goals of the class was to reiterate that they are a major player when it comes to helping their company or their customers. They learned that by adding metal when welding, it can be done as precisely and accurately as removing metal when machining. They were also given an opportunity to develop their own procedures which set the standards for quality.

As with anything worthwhile, the benefits received from something is in direct correlation with the effort and diligent work put into it. Thanks to this incredible training, customers can be assured that Yarbrough Industries will continue to meet the most stringent quality requirements and provide the best work at the lowest cost.

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This industry moves fast, but you can move even faster if you’re up to date on trends, technical developments, and best practices. The Yarbrough Industries blog is a go-to source for valuable, timely and detailed information. Sign up to ensure that you don’t miss a single post.

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Airgas, Gas Metal Arc Steel Welding, Globular, metal fabrication, Projected, Pulse Spray metal transfer, Repelled Globular, Short Circuit, Streaming, welding

Preventing Rust And Corrosion

Anytime there is metal involved in a project, there is a possibility of rust. This can present a challenge to the appearance of the project and the piece’s overall structural integrity. When iron is exposed to oxygen through air or water, rust and corrosion may take hold. There are a few ways to combat rust, but it is best to prevent it from forming in the first place.

Ways to Prevent Rust

Here are a few suggestions for how you can work to keep rust and corrosion from destroying your project.

Use Rust and Corrosion Resistant Alloys


Certain metals, such as stainless steel, are naturally resistant to rust because of their chemical makeup. For example, stainless steels have chromium added to them. The chromium combines with oxygen to form a passive layer that protects the steel from corrosion. What’s really great about this protective layer is that it can fix itself if damaged. However, this does not mean that stainless steel is completely impervious to corrosion, as exposure to extreme environments (such as saltwater) can still cause stainless steel to corrode. Before you begin a project, it is important to weigh your options regarding what metals and materials you will use and how they interact with the given environment in which they will exist.

Another option is to use weathering steel, also known as “COR-TEN” steel. This steel contains various alloys such as chromium, nickel, copper, and phosphorus that create a protective patina that can greatly reduce the corrosion rate.

Intelligent Design


Aside from choosing a corrosion-resistant metal, a lot can be accomplished to combat rust through smart design. No matter the structure you are creating, limit the number of cavities and crevices in which water could easily collect. It is better to weld joints than to bolt them together as water can penetrate the spaces underneath bolts and washers and eventually cause them to fail. It would help if you also prioritized making all spaces open to making future maintenance as easy as possible, so rust can be addressed as soon as it is discovered.

Paint


Painting is a great, low-cost way to protect against rust. The paint forms a protective barrier between the metal and corrosive elements. Oil-based paints are the best choice if you try to prevent water and oxygen from penetrating the metal and causing corrosion. Keep in mind that you will have to monitor the quality of the paint regularly. As soon as the paint chips or becomes damaged, the metal underneath will become more susceptible to corrosion.

Powder Coating


Another great option to protect your piece is to have it powder coated. This is when applying a dry powder via spraying and then heating it, so it forms a thin, protective film.

At Yarbrough Industries, we have experts to help you through the process to ensure your project lasts.

Make sure to contact us about any metal fabrication and machining questions you may have!

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Tags:

fabrication, metal fabrication, metal projects, powder coating, Preventing rust, stainless steel

How To Choose The Right Metal Fabricator

 

There are many choices when you are looking for a metal fabricator that has the capabilities and services you need for your next project. But how do you determine which one will be the best fit for you? What is important to look for? What sets one company apart from the rest?

These are the characteristics that will help you distinguish between a competent fabricator and an exceptional metal fabrication partner.

1. Experience Matters

A company with years of experience under their belts will have the knowledge to help you make strategic decisions regarding product design and fabrication needs. When you partner with an experienced company, you will be backed by the knowledge and expertise of people who can make the best recommendations while keeping them realistic. They can guide you in everything from structural aesthetics to functionality.

2. Invested in Your Success

When choosing a partner for your metal fabrication needs, you should look for someone who is personally invested in your success, beginning to end.  When you have a partner who has watched your product evolve and helped refine your designs, they will be far more invested in creating an effective product. Effectual product design begins with an expert partner who can guide you through the entire product development cycle.

3. Innovation is Imperative

The way a company approaches a new project can set them apart when you are looking for the right fit. A company with an innovative approach to projects will stand out from the commoditized competition by differentiating itself through value-driven fabrication. No matter if you are looking for a simple consultation on product development or needing full metal fabrication project management, the partner you choose should constantly evaluate the product’s functionality, cost-effectiveness and structural integrity. 

4. Cost-Consciousness

The company you choose to partner with should have a proactive cost avoidance approach. Avoiding unseen costs due to scope creep is important as you work through your project. It is a common occurrence for metal fabrication products, so identifying a fabrication partner that will help you reduce material, assembly and shipping costs, as well as holding and handling costs, a ballooning scope—and bill—can be avoided. To be successful, it is critical that your fabrication partner commits to understanding all aspects of your supply chain operations.

5. Multiple Material Suppliers

When a metal fabricator buys from multiple suppliers, they are able to negotiate for material prices and products on your behalf and to your benefit. Having multiple suppliers also means they can buy, ship, store and process the steel in-house, which helps considerably when you need high-volume projects and achieving economies of scale. multiple suppliers, they are able to source materials that best suit your application. The flexibility to purchase large quantities at reduced prices OR specialty material for your non-typical project means you will get exactly what you need at the best possible rate.  

Choosing the best metal fabrication partner is critical to the overall strength of your business. By taking the time to identify and partner with a strategic, useful, all-in-one metal fabricator, you’ll notice a difference in production cost, effectiveness and efficiency. Don’t settle for anything short of first-class service and reliability.

Yarbrough Industries is here to provide the experience and service you need to ensure your project’s success. 

Contact Us

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Tags:

fabrication, metal fabrication, metal fabrication shop, metalwork, Mobile Hydraulic Services

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