CAMM Metals Blog

In today’s market, it’s critical for job shops to be proactive about standing out, not only to their clients but to their potential employees as well. The modern day job shop faces the unique challenge of appealing to a smaller pool of highly-skilled workers in order to succeed and pass that success off to customers. The methods with which a given job shop operates can make a massive difference when it comes to hiring viable candidates, cutting costs and improving productivity. This is where the lean manufacturing philosophy becomes incredibly valuable. Essentially, lean manufacturing is about eliminating waste and streamlining processes. If you’re interested in learning more, check out this blog post.

Not only can lean philosophy turn a business into a well-oiled machine, but it ensures that each aspect of the operation is treated with equal importance. In the end, this can ensure that a business is highly efficient, which helps the business to pass on the benefits to clients.

There’s no shortage of tools and systems within the lean manufacturing philosophy that businesses use to ensure they’re following the method’s most important principles. One of these tools is “5S.”

Continue reading to learn how this helpful system can benefit both metal fabrication job shops and their customers.

What Does Lean Manufacturing Entail?

At its most basic, lean manufacturing focuses on the elimination of waste; not just physical waste, as in an excess of materials, but also waste that occurs as the result of overburdening, or via uneven workloads.  It systemically streamlines the entire manufacturing system to make it as efficient as possible, ultimately leading to greater efficiency, lower costs and faster production times.  In fact, research has shown that when lean principles are put into place, it can produce significant results, including reduced manufacturing lead times and floor space requirements, and increased first-pass yields, throughput and productivity.

The short answer is iron! Ferrous metals contain iron, while non-ferrous metals do not contain iron. However, the difference in the composition of these types of metals means that each has unique qualities and uses. So let's learn more about the differences between ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Ferrous Metals

As we mentioned earlier, ferrous metals are types of metals that contain iron. Since ferrous metals are known for their strength and durability, they are often used in both architectural and industrial fabrication. Due to the iron they contain, ferrous metals are also magnetic. Some examples of ferrous metals include:

The development of fiber optic technology has brought about several technological advancements, the most notable of which is the ability to transfer information faster and in larger quantities than ever before. Instead of relying on phone lines or copper wiring, fiber optic technology allows users to send data through diodes using beams of light. This technology has also revolutionized laser cutting technology, as fiber optic cabling can produce a light beam 200% more effective than CO2 lasers. Besides increased power, fiber laser cutting boasts a variety of advantages over traditional cutting methods. Here are some of the top advantages of fiber laser cutting.

Are metal welding costs draining your fabrication project’s budget? It’s possible that your fabrication partner isn’t doing everything possible to optimize their welding processes and find ways to minimize your expenses. It’s a difficult balancing act. After all, the end product’s structure and safety is dependent on the strength of the welds. Any welding defects will result in additional costs for your business. Check in with your metal fabrication partner to find out if they offer any of the following welding solutions to drive down your project costs (without sacrificing quality).

When you're embarking on your next metal fabrication project, it's important to consider which type of steel you will use. Selecting the appropriate type of steel for a metal fabrication project is a critical and less-mentioned decision.

Before you even begin to contemplate between which individual grade of steel you'll choose, you first have to determine what type of steel to use. Typically, the choice is between carbon steel or stainless steel.

Continue reading to learn the primary differences between carbon and stainless steel.

It’s not an area that gets a lot of coverage with the general public, but when it comes to design and manufacturing, in a lot of ways, “the future” arrived a couple of decades ago, and has been heavily relied on ever since. Prior to the use of CAD models in many industries, the ways that engineers, architects, designers and many other experts came up with ideas was through the use of schematics and blueprints. CAD models changed all that for the better.

When creating a design for metal fabrication, it’s important to make sure your fabricator will be able to easily translate the design into your desired product. In order to create a useful design, there are certain considerations you should take into account. Here are some tips to optimize your design for metal fabrication. 

When searching for a company to handle your metal fabrication project, cost is a major factor. You might be tempted to choose the lowest quote you find in order to save money. However, cheaper isn’t always better with these quotes. Unfortunately, you’ll often find that the lowest quote, especially a quote significantly lower than all other quotes, will cost you more in the long run. Here are some of the reasons you shouldn’t always choose the cheapest metal fabrication quote.

Finding the right laser cutting partner can be tricky due to a wide variety of factors. Often, laser cutting service partners are selected based solely on their ability to provide a low cost solution. While cost remains a critical factor in any decision, it’s important to consider the company’s overall capabilities, experience, and quality. This blog post aims to help procurement professionals develop useful questions to ask potential partners.