Stratford, Ont.-based Chrima Metal Fabrication wants to become an exemplar of what an “Industry 4.0” factory can be – a shop that networks automated CNC equipment to a central hub such that the front office can see where production is at all times and manage its work accordingly. It’s not there yet, but its step-by-step approach to the journey is a good example of how one company is exploring the opportunity.

Rockford Systems LLC now provides sales, installation, and technical support on the Soft Touch Pinch-Point Safety System from Unitrol Electronics Inc. The passive, fail-safe system helps prevent riveters and spot welding machines from cycling if the system detects fingers in the point-of-operation...

Introducing robotic welding automation can be challenging for any company. There are any number of questions the shop has to consider: Do our parts suit an automated welding system? Do we have the know-how or the will to add that skill to the shop floor? There are painless ways to introduce the technology, but it’s important to ensure the rest of your fabricating processes are ready for the move.

Miller Electric Mfg. LLC has introduced the Weld-Mask™ 2, an alternative to welding helmets designed to protect a welder’s eyes and head and provide a reusable respirator while also allowing access to tight spaces. The low-profile design makes the product about 40 percent lighter than a...

For 89 years Morris Industries has been producing agricultural equipment, primarily for planting crops. With its head office in Saskatoon and plants in Yorkton, Sask., and Minnedosa, Man., it has managed to compete internationally. With the decision to purchase a laser tube cutting machine, it’s preparing to make an even bigger impact on its market with a more robust, more efficiently produced product.

Burlington, Ont.-based Xiris Automation has appointed Norm Sted as its Director of Sales for North America. With a long career in the welding industry, Sted brings a wealth of industry connections and expertise to Xiris’ sales team. Based in Florida, Sted will be focused on creating new sales...

With many seasoned welders retiring and leaving the industry, it has never been more important to attract young people to this exciting and profitable career path. Al Azadwinder Singh Sumal is doing just that. Suaml has been welding for more than 45 years and educating generations of welders at...

voestalpine Böhler Welding has introduced weldCare Guardian battery-powered, autodarkening welding helmets and safety glasses. The welding helmets are available in three types, meeting the safety and durability requirements of relevant CE and ANSI standards. They feature a high-impact nylon shell...

TRUMPF Inc., a Farmington, Conn.-based manufacturer of fabricating machinery and industrial lasers, is adding two new positions to its Laser Product Group. The company has named Masoud Harooni as product manager of TruLaser Weld and Adi Buerkler as product manager of TruLaser Tube. Harooni has...

Laser welding is becoming increasingly appealing to shops that want to create parts that require little to no post-weld processing. The most obvious application examples are the food processing and appliance industries. Using heat conduction welding, a laser welding system can take two parts and...

Fronius has developed a new torch body for its TPS and TPS/i robotic welding devices. The MTB 350’s gas nozzle has a diameter that is 20 percent smaller than conventional torches, enabling improved access to components, says the company. The nozzle’s diameter is 20 mm, as compared to the...

April Hamelin, had never dreamed of a career in welding. It wasn’t until high school that she was even exposed to the possibility of it as an option. And after a year out of high school, she’s on her way to her Red Seal designation. “It was never something I thought about as a career, but it...

EWM AG now supplies its Pico 160 and Pico 160 cel puls welding inverters as a set with a transport case and accessories. Comprising the welding machine, workpiece lead, electrode holder and electrodes, chipping hammer, and wire brush, the set can be taken to the worksite in one trip. The cases...

Lincoln Electric’s new Mobiflex® 400-MS is a self-cleaning welding fume extraction and filtration system. Suitable for smaller manufacturing facilities, the system provides light- to medium-duty welding fume extraction in variable locations. The RotaPulse® automatic filter cleaning system and...

Milwaukee Tool has introduced the M18 FUEL™ 7-/9-in. cordless grinder, which the company says is the first 18-V large-angle grinder. It generates the power of a 15-amp corded LAG and has a 9-in. grinding capacity. The tool combines the POWERSTATE™ brushless motor, REDLITHIUM™ battery pack,...