Nestor Gula

Powder coating parts is an option to consider if the parts will be exposed to the elements for a prolonged period of time. It is a better option than painting, because of the durability of the coating. “Paint is more porous and powder is not, so it will not let water or anything get into it....

Among the processes a manufacturer uses to produce parts, putting holes into metal is one of the most basic. Creating holes on flat metal is routine. Drilling holes into curved, nonflat, and uneven surfaces poses challenges, however. Most drills have a point angle designed to help penetrate the...

A welding helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment. It is hard to imagine anyone trying to weld without one, and it’s remarkable to see how much helmet technology has changed over the past few years. When I started welding, I was lucky that auto-darkening helmets were just...

While much of the focus in today’s economy has been on banking and the service sector, Canadian manufacturing leads the world in some areas. In the southwest corner of Toronto, Fiat Chrysler’s Etobicoke Casting Plant is a world leader in casting aluminum structural parts for Fiat...

For proper results in a production environment, priming before painting is an absolute necessity. The industry likes to use the term coatings instead of paint as it is a more descriptive word for the protective nature of the substance that helps to combat corrosion and improve the surface...

Increasing welding throughput is the goal of every welding shop. It’s true that you can weld only so many inches per minute, but good preparation practices, the right consumables, and modern welding power sources can all help speed up the process. One way to increase throughput with gas metal...

Although welding automation has existed for many years, the technology has seemed to be an unaffordable luxury for smaller manufacturers and welding shops. But in the past few years, welding system manufacturers and integrators have been producing small standard welding cells that can be set up to...

Angle grinders are simple tools. On the surface it is just a motor, a transfer case and grinding disk or cut-off wheel. These simple machines have been around for ages and can be picked up at the local hardware store very inexpensively. A proper and well-designed angle grinder is not such a simple...

It is always fascinating what goes on behind closed doors. Quebec’s ISE Metal Inc. is a very interesting family-owned company. Founded in 1934 as a single factory, its name was synonymous with its function, Industrial Stamping Enterprise (ISE). The company’s main products were stamped...

The helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment for a welder. It shields the eyes from intense light and the face from the radiation emitted by the spark. And it will dissipate some of the fumes that are emitted when welding. “A good helmet protects the eyes and skin not only from...

Getting a proper weld bead is essential to joining metal together, but even more important is the safety and well-being of the ones who are doing the welding. Welding safety has advanced a great deal since the early days, but that does not mean people should be lackadaisical about the precautions...

Lasers are the answer if you want to put holes—round or square—into a pipe and make other cuts or profiles. Learn more.

There are many people who live in the city and in moments of desperation or frustration ponder a move to the country for a simpler life. Few ever act on this impulse. Michel Neault, the president of H.M. Métal in Sainte-Sophie-de-Lévrard in Québec is someone who did. “I...

When recessions or economic downturns hit, companies unfortunately close their doors. The buildings stand empty for a while until some brave entrepreneur steps forward, feeling a sprightly fresh breeze in the economic air and repurposes the once closed building to suit their needs. Although not...

If you have ever welded using the TIG welding process you will know of the elegance of the technique. The process involves using a special tungsten needle to focus heat energy onto the work piece while a slender piece of filler metal is dabbed into the weld puddle. It is properly known as Gas...