The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) presents The Incredible Power of Lean: Real Improvement in Real Life, a 2.5 hour interactive webinar, also known as  fabcast. And you don’t even need to step out of the office, as the technology utilized enables online viewing and voice interaction via telephone. The live presentation will cover such topics as:

• Practical implementation of lean manufacturing to save small to mid-sized manufacturers money.
• Basics of lean manufacturing.
• How lean manufacturing can be applied to small to midsized manufacturers.
• The financial impact of lean manufacturing.
• And more!

The registration fee is only $195 for FMA/TPA Members and $245 for the general public. Fabcasts can also be purchased in bulk for greater savings.

Click here to register for this fabcast.

Ismael Gonzalez has two jobs.  During the school year, he teaches welding at the local Career Development School.  During the summer, he heats it up by welding, funnily enough, on other schools.  Turns out that welding on these other schools may help him out when he’s teaching welding at his school.

Local welding teacher works through the summer to keep up on industry changes

Teacher works through summer to keep up on industry changes

By Allison Miles • Originally published July 30, 2009 at 7:09 p.m., updated July 31, 2009 at midnight

Photo by FRANK TILLEY/ADVOCATE PHOTO EDITOR

For most teachers, summer vacation is a time to kick back, relax and regroup before heading back to the classroom.

But not for Ismael Gonzalez, a 49-year-old welding teacher at the Victoria school district’s Career Development School.

Gonzalez is spending his summer practicing what he teaches as he welds for Victoria Air Conditioning.

On Tuesday, orange sparks flew in the South Texas heat, but an intermittent breeze still wafted through the company’s fabrication shop as the welders worked on pipes and air conditioner parts for the district’s new schools.

Most of what the company is doing this summer has to do with the upcoming schools, said Terry Young, the shop foreman. But he said Victoria isn’t alone.

“Schools are going up all over,” he said. “Austin, San Antonio, everywhere.”

Gonzalez’s 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. summer work isn’t all about the extra paycheck. He said he began his vacation-time welding for a couple of reasons.

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I’m not talking about the monster but rather the truck. Big Foot is regarded as the first monster truck ever made and still remains the most popular monster truck today. Big Foot is proof of how some of the most successful ideas emerge from the ability to see opportunities early and run with them.

During a trip to the West Coast, Bob Chandler, the builder of the original Big Foot, noticed a 4×4 frenzy which he predicted would head Midwest towards his hometown, Missouri. Based on this insight, he started his own business which would eventually lead to the development of the monster truck.

The anatomy of a monster truck

By Eric Lundin, Editor, TPJ-The Tube & Pipe Journal®

It drives right over nearly every obstacle in its path and splits nearly every eardrum in its vicinity. It’s supercharged, oversized, and extraordinary. It stands more than 10 feet tall, develops more than 1,500 horsepower, and can leap over a 727 jet airliner in a single bound.

It can be only one thing: a BIGFOOT® monster truck. And it contains an unbelievable amount of tube.

Just a Hobby

It all started innocently. Bob Chandler was a construction contractor by day, a 4×4 enthusiast by night, and a lead-foot all the time. His notoriously heavy foot led to a nickname-Bigfoot -and a continuous need for repairs on his truck.

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Check out the July issue of Practical Welding Today for an article written by our very own Jennifer Simpson, Arc-Zone.com‘s director of marketing and new media!  And the cover photo is Joe Welder laying down some awesome TIG welds, shot in studio C by our talented Graphics guy, Matt Munz. Good job team!

Know your TIG torch

Advice and maintenance practices to ensure quality
By Jennifer Simpson
July 1, 2009

Even though money is tight, saving it by purchasing less reputable GTAW torches or skimping on maintenance practices can cause more harm than good in the long run.

Photos courtesy of Matt Munz, Arc-Zone.com Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.

When times are tough our initial instinct is to save money and buy cheap. That’s not always the best strategy, especially when you’re looking at a new gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) torch.

One of the biggest differences between a low-quality and high-quality torch is the materials used in manufacturing it, as well as the production process. Quality torches last longer, run cooler, provide a stable arc, and offer overall improved weld quality.

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Want to read some more articles written by Jennifer?  Check out these two other fabricator articles: Obtenga la conexión and Optimize your plasma performance, co-written by me, Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder.

And when you’re ready to buy a quality TIG Torch, check out Arc-Zone.com. We deliver the best quality TIG torches on the market, from CK Worldwide to Weldcraft. At our online store you’ll also find accessory kits, all the connectors you need not to mention replacement parts and tungsten electrodes….