A Beautiful Day at the Custom Machine Shop

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Although it's not something you would imagine being beautiful, you'd be surprised at how well you'd adjust to life on the production floor. No, it's not super dirty like you may picture. And no, it's not stuffy as portrayed either. On beautiful days like today, the doors swing open and let the cool summer breeze sweep through the stations.

Machines run, and operators guide and supervise the custom parts that are being made. It's certainly not a vision you would see on Mike Rowe's 'Dirty Jobs' show. It's a beautiful sight when projects are done, and employees are proud of the parts at hand. The customer smiles as they're presented - what's not beautiful about that?

We're not trying to come off as sappy. No, that's not the intention. We'd like to simply shed light on the lighter side of manufacturing that most people don't get to see. The beautiful side. Much in the same way Michael Hodges put together his "Tour Detroi's Ugly-Beautiful Manufacturing Landmarks", there is always more than one way to see things.

Think it over.

Fedtech

Taking Care of Business

Good afternoon readers!

Well it's only Monday and big things are already happening here at Fedtech. If you've been keeping up with the news, then you may be familiar with some of what's happening.

For starters, the new website is set to launch soon - so be prepared to check it out and make sure to watch our Twitter (@Fedtechinc) for the official update!

Next up, we're expanding our horizons to sporting goods. This doesn't mean basketball balls or hockey sticks or anything of that nature. We're committed to providing quality parts for outdoor sportsman activities. This could include parts for archery items, hunting stands, fishing tackle, boat equipment, and more. We're able to waterjet cut, laser cut, machine, mill, deburr, finish, and assemble parts.Our main thought here is to be able to provide simple to intricate parts to OEM's for cost effective rates. We can do production runs quickly and efficiently with laser and waterjet cutting.

Here's a quick list of our current core industries: http://www.fedtech.com/industries.html

Well that's all for now. Have a great Monday, come back later this week for more!

Please learn more about Fedtech, custom machine shop, at our website.

Tuesdays with Sarah

Good morning! The past couple months have flown by and we're almost to spring! Don't forget to set your clocks for daylight savings on Sunday morning too. The only problem with Spring is that our clocks will spring ahead, leaving us with one less hour of sleep (and I'm strongly against stealing sleep...)

*Image at right is from www.chumpsyclipart.com

With that being said, don't be discouraged because the sunshine is definitely worth losing a little sleep over. So chin up! It's going to be a great spring/summer...

Things have really been hopping at Fedtech. We've been completing a lot of cool projects that are definitely noteworthy. And since I can only pick one super sweet part of the week, you'll have to tune into our case studies section for all the others that don't get focused in on here!

Also, if you haven't already checked us out on Twitter, you definitely should. We post daily and keep our followers updated with projects, contests, news, and other fun stuff too. You can check us out at @Fedtechinc!

Well, without further adou, I suppose we should get on with the show!

Are you ready for....


Sarah's Super Sweet Pick of the Week
(Where, I, Sarah, pick my favorite parts that I found on the production floor)

The part seen here was one of many produced here at Fedtech. They were cut using abrasive waterjet cutting, and were processed from .020" thick anodized aluminum.

If you were to look at the parts, you'd probably guess it were for some sort of automotive dashboard or some sort. If that really was your guess, then you're very right! The panels that were waterjet cut were used in select models of Ford Mustangs (not from the OEM but for aftermarket customizing).

The initial material came in 48" x 96" sheets of aluminum and fit with room to spare on our waterjet table. When the parts are all finished, they're inspected for quality and precision and then are shipped to the end customer.

I enjoy cars in general, and these parts would be awesome to see on the end product. I also thought in light of the auto show going on this week (in the Twin Cities, MN) that an automotive dashboard panel might not be a bad part to feature!

Hope you enjoyed!!


And now... for the questions of the week!

Question and Answer Segment

Q) Can you cut G-10 with the waterjet?
A) Yes! And here's a case study we've done to prove it: http://www.fedtech.com/phenolics

Q) How thick can a laser cut?
A) Our industrial lasers typically cut up to 5/8" in stainless steel and carbon steel and 1/8" for laser cutting aluminum.

Q) If I wanted to cut linoleum, what process should I use?
A) Waterjet cutting, since there's no heat affected zones (HAZ) then the linoleum won't have any issues with distortion or melting.


Sorry it's kind of a short list, but I must cut it short this week! Hope you have a great week.

Until next time!!

Sarah

Custom this, Custom that...

Well the joys of being able to manufacture custom parts never fade away. I talked about the trumpet art sculpture in the last entry, and I might have talked about the custom retail display pieces we did (if not, here's the link) Oh, and of course the custom tile work, for the school in St. Paul... we waterjet cut tile from three different colors to create their school mascot (here's the link for that one too).

But what I can't figure out, is how these awesome projects find us. I mean, yes, I've been trying to improve our website, and update our case studies and project lists, but is there something more? I don't know... Is there something I'm missing that you guys want to see? If so, you should let me know and I'll be sure to get right on it!

Also, today I'm going to get all of our Fedtech gear up on the website, and available for whoever wants a piece or two... it's all pretty cheap prices too, so be sure to check it out. Should be up around lunch time, I would hope...

Let's see, what else here... Oh, as I mentioned last time about the John Deere award, it's now all over google, so be sure to check out all the places it's showing up! Yesterday I googled, "Fedtech John Deere Partner" and lots of results came up in places I didn't even expect! So it was pretty fun :)

I'll be back later this week with the "Ask Fedtech" portion of the blog, so don't fret! And be sure to send in your questions by Wednesday for a shot at being answered! (sarahw@fedtech.com) I'll be waiting!

Enjoy the day and make it count,

Sarah

Okay so it was less than a week...

But I see so many questions popping up already so I thought I should probably get on the ball and answer some questions. Not to mention, it's Friday and it only seemed fitting to blog it up!


The question I wanted to answer today is this;

"How do I cut ceramic tile?"


Depending on the quantity, size and detail you want your tile cut, your options can vary. If you're cutting a few tiles or just have a mild cut you'd like to do, then they do make tile cutters for that.. just make sure to practice first. If you have an intricate design and/or quite a few tiles to cut, then another option would be waterjet cutting in this case.


Abrasive waterjet cutting, to be exact... (depending on the type of tile though, I guess water-only waterjet has been used before as well.


Here is a case study for VCT tile (like linoleum)


and one for custom slat tile as well


Both turned out pretty cool, if I do say so myself :)

More Manufacturing Questions - Answered!

Well I return here with more answered questions! This week's ask Fedtech will feature questions that you yourselves have asked in the last week! So prep yourself, sit down, grab a cup of coffee and read on!

First question...

What's the difference between 17-4 stainless steel and 17-7 stainless steel?

That's a great question, typically the two grades just have different nickel content.

Next one, what are the advantages of using abrasive waterjet cutting?

There are some great advantages of abrasive waterjet. First off, you can cut through material up to 12" thick while still maintaining a smooth edge and minimal taper, depending on the material. Not only this, but it can cut hard materials like steel and titanium.

What is the best way to cut "AR" steel?

By "AR" I'm going to assume you mean armor plating, such as AR236, or AR400, AR500, etc. The best way to cut these materials is waterjet cutting. Since they are generally hard materials, it's often cut with abrasive waterjet.

What's the difference between waterjet cutting and laser cutting?

Since we answered this last week (but it's such a common question) I will redirect your answer to my latest discovery. This website now has a 'Cutting Method Assessment' tool that determines which process is best for your particular project. Give it a try, otherwise if you want to see waterjet and laser compared side by side, you can visit Fedtech.com for lots of information comparing the two.

How do I tell if an aluminum part has been laser cut?

Well if it's a matter between life and death, then you may be out of luck. But a general rule of thumb is to laser cut aluminum if it's thin, otherwise we use waterjet cutting for anything over 1/8" thick. You can usually tell what materials are laser cut as well because laser cutting sometimes leaves HAZ's, or a heat trail. You can see the edges where the laser cut, because there may be some discoloration.

How can I cut urethane?

We usually use water-only waterjet cutting for urethane parts.

Is AR500 used as ballistic armor?

Yes, it can be. But I wouldn't call it ballistic armor because it's not that strong. It's more mild, I'd opt to call it abrasion resistant instead.

What are some renewable materials used for waterjet cutting?

I think the question is intending to ask either, what makes waterjet cutting a green option, or what can waterjet cut as far as renewable materials go? I'll answer both. What we consider waterjet cutting green for, is because:
* recycle our abrasive that is used in our cutting process
* recycle our water from our RO systems
* recycle all of our metals
* test our air compressor system plant wide for leaks and reduce air pressure to optimum levels

As far are renewable materials that you can cut with waterjet, this could include bamboo, cork, plastic (polycarbonate, acrylic, nylon, polyethylene, HDPE) or rubber (foam, silicone, urethane, vinyl, neoprene) and more. We also process numerous composites with waterjet this can include glass, ceramics, linoleum, and others.

Well that's all the time that I have for this week. I'll be back next week to answer more questions that you guys send me! Comment on the post or email me at sarahw@fedtech.com and I'll get you some answers!

Have a great week!

Feed Shark

Laser Cutting of Sculptures at Fedtech

So we have a couple sweet projects we've done this week so I wanted to focus on those in an entry this week, after all it's been a little while since I updated our blog!

Sooooo first, I will start with this trumpet sculpture because, c'mon, it's really cool lookin! The company who did this is pretty well-known in the Twin Cities area. The sculpture they designed here will go in a park where the pieces of steel are to be spaced equally apart from each other. When you look at the sculpture from different angles, it's equally interesting. But when you look at it from straight on, it looks amazing. Isn't it crazy what some people can come up with? I'm just glad we could help out on such a cool project! I can't wait to see it outside where it belongs in the park!

Technical notes: To complete this project, these pieces were laser cut from 1/2" 304 Stainless Steel.

Stay tuned for my next post, I'll talk about another cool project :)

Thanks for reading, see you soon!

Sarah

Where can I learn about waterjet cutting?

Learning about waterjet cutting is very easy. It's getting up-to-date, quality information that is the hard part. Be critical when reviewing information online. It's difficult to research accurate information as capabilities are continuously changing and improving.

A good rule of thumb is to check the credibility of the source you are referrencing. Though this might be a given, alot of the time people tend to forget this when they are desperate to find information on a certain topic.

I know while I've been doing research on what other manufacturing shops are doing, I've come across different statistics and capabilities that might very well be true, but could also be very false. Do your research, and you'll find the information you need.

Some good resources for learning about waterjet cutting include:
Wikipedia
ThomasNet (This is also a good resource for finding a service provider near you)
Wardjet (A leader in sales of waterjet machines)
The Fabricator (Top magazine for fabricating/manufacturing industries)
Fedtech (An established manufacturing shop in Minnesota)

When it comes to laser cutting, you often hear: Where can I learn more about laser cutting?
Well, here are some excellent resources for laser cutting:
Fedtech
Global Spec
CNC Information
Wikipedia
ThomasNet

Another great source that you can take with you is an informational podcast about manufacturing. Each episode features a different manufacturing process and serves as an educational learning tool for listeners interesting in finding out more about waterjet cutting, laser cutting, finishing, forming, welding, drilling, tapping, and more. You can find that podcast at www.modernmanufacturing.mypodcast.com or search for "Modern Manufacturing" in iTunes.

Hope this helps! If you have any questions feel free to send me a message at sarahw@fedtech.com and I will do my best to answer them in my next posts!

As always, thanks for reading!!! Have a good day :)

Wonderful World of Waterjet (www)

Well it's as if I can't explain how wonderful waterjet cutting is. Before taking this job here (you can see our full homepage at Fedtech.com), I always thought of the manufacturing world as a very dirty, hard-pressed territory (and elsewhere it might be) but boy have I proven that to be so wrong.

I think the neatest thing here is that these waterjets can cut through materials never even thought possible before. The first project I took pictures of was abrasive waterjet cutting through 10" thick copper rounds without any taper or edges... and sure enough when all was said and done, there it was. (You can see more about this story here...)

And then the next day they cut 9.25" aluminum blocks... leaving the drop in one clean piece that was both much cleaner but even more important, had the ability to be recycled or reused (saving a lot of money). This was equally impressive, if you want to see pictures of that one, you can see the case study here...

I think my favorite project yet though, was processing these tiny titanium strips (.025" thick) that would be used for a conducting electricity in a line of vacuum cleaners. This was so cool because 13,200 pieces were cut in a matter of a day (obviously it takes a bit longer in the process of things though since we had to make the CAD file, order the material, and then figure it into the schedule of the waterjets) but it was very cool to see these parts cut. The coolest part of it, was that when waterjet cuts through titanium, sparks just fly! It's really cool to see, but kind of scary when you see it for your first time... I was definitely worried for the waterjet operator's fingers but he laughed and assured me not to worry they do it every day... I guess! (You can see pictures of that project here!)

Anyways, I just had to share the details. I'm sure I'll have more fun things to say as time goes on, so I'll keep you all posted. Until then, keep on cuttin on! (Get it, waterjet cutting? Haha...)