Some thoughts, some answers, some fun stuff from Fedtech

Good afternoon everyone! I am probably a little behind in blogging this week but it's been pretty busy so you'll just have to get used to it! There've been some cool projects going on lately (as I'm sure you probably would have guessed) and I've got some good photos to just throw out here today. So instead of doing a focused case study, I'll just do little blurbs for each photo and I think it should be pretty fun!

Now how cool is this shield to the right? Waterjet cut from wood and aluminum and assembled at our shop. The fun part about it, was that it was done for two Air Force members for their wedding! Now we don't know the whole story behind their relationship, but to have something this cool at their wedding is definiately something to be proud of.

These silicone rubber parts were .25" thick and were custom made. The gaskets used non-abrasive (water-only) waterjet cutting to keep the white silicone rubber nice and clean.

We really have a good time with the projects here, and each one is always a new experience. We've been open since 1996 and the stories that the guys have to tell about projects they've done in the past; it's always something different!

Question of the Week

Q) I need a metal screen/filtration part. Is that within the scope of Fedtech's work?

A) Absolutely. We have done so much work with filtration parts, perforated plate and screen fabrication that we welcome any type of part in that industry. If you're interested in seeing more, you can visit a page on our website dedicated specifically to perforated material.

Believe it or not, that is our question of the week! We didn't have many curious people last week so this is a short list! Hope all is well and take care!

Sarah

Fedtech, Inc.

Fabulous Fedtech Feels like Florida

It's been so warm here in Minnesota, it may just get confused for Florida... We've been loving the weather and it finally feels like Spring time is here! Most snow is melted and if you ignore the otherwise constant rain we've been getting, it's kind of nice!

Things inside the shop have been moving right along. The new press brake has been working wonders with armor plating and with it, we've been pressin on. (pun intended) The waterjets have been busy with mostly gaskets and flanges (both large and small) these days. The lasers have been pretty focused on thin aluminum projects along with some stainless steel work. Most of the mind-boggling work comes off the waterjets, since they can cut through a variety of material types and thicknesses.

I've been pretty busy designing the new website and putting the finishing touches on it before it goes into production. I can't give any secrets out, but let's just say that it will look like a whole new website... I'm VERY excited - the makeover is long past due.

View our website 5 years ago   -   View our current website


QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

Q) I have 1/2" stainless steel, should I use laser or waterjet?
A) It depends on when you'd need the parts. Sometimes lead times vary depending on how busy the waterjets or lasers are. However, if the lead times are equal, you might opt to use laser cutting as it often times costs less. At the same time, laser cutting does entail heat affected zones, so depending on the application, you may want to look into weighing the pro's and con's of each here.

Q) Can aluminum be cut with water-only waterjet?
A) Although tempting, you're not going to want to proceed with that idea. Water-only waterjet would leave rough edges on aluminum and is not able to cut through the material like abrasive waterjet can. Aluminum is better left for abrasive waterjet or laser cutting (depending on the thickness).

Q) I have a retail design that I'd like to cut from glass, can I do this with waterjet?
A) Absolutely. We've cut glass with abrasive waterjet before and can definitely look at your prints to see if your project is another success story waiting to happen.

Q) What are the odds of warping material when using waterjet vs. laser cutting?
A) Waterjet will not warp the material, and seldom does laser cutting warp material.


That's all the time that I have this week for questions. Now I have to end this here, but check back for more updates soon!

Ta ta for now,

Sarah

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

Waterjet Wednesdays!

I realize it's been a little bit since that last post so I'm back for more. I actually just updated our Flickr photostream too, so you may have to check that out. There's some really neat pictures on there now: Fedtech Flickr

Also, if you didn't know, we're located in Minnesota where the sun shines when it wants to and the same goes for the snow. It's finally raising past 20° F and we're loving the sunshine, we kind of forgot what it looked like! You can see the snow is melting, the ice is retreating, and our fellow Minnesotans are becoming much friendlier... thank goodness for springtime!

Well, without further ado, we must continue on to Sarah's super sweet pick of the week! Where I choose the coolest project that has gone through Fedtech's production floor and give you, the readers, a little insight behind the project. It's a fan-favorite, so read on!

Sarah's Super Sweet Pick of the Week

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for shiny things but these parts are beyond that. These custom waterjet cut parts were processed from .002" thick brass (6" x 60" sheets). To be used as wear block shims, they will be the perfect solution for the customer's application in the food industry.

The thickness of these parts was almost half the thickness of a regular sheet of paper (which comes in at .0038" thick). If that gives you an idea of thin these parts were, you can certainly understand that a certain level of intricacy was needed as well when waterjet cutting these parts.

Questions of the Week

Q: Can a waterjet cut plastic?
A: Yes, it can. You'd preferrably want to use water-only waterjet cutting but abrasive waterjet cutting would work as well depending on the application you'd be using the plastic for.

Q: Can you cut armor plate with waterjet?
A: You definitely can, and we do! Quite a bit actually. We're able to waterjet cut armor plate and ballistics up to 12" thick and from all different types of plate. Click here to see a specified page on the topic.

Q: Can you define; high speed machining?
A: Oh yes, we have defined that in our glossary section of our website. Jump to the H's here...

Q: What's the difference between cutting stainless steel with a laser or a waterjet?
A: That's a great question. The most basic differences can be seen in 1) heat affected zones, which laser cutting has and waterjet does not have. 2) laser cutting typically cuts up to 5/8" thick stainless steel. Anything thicker than that and you may need to use waterjet cutting. 3) Laser cutting typically has tighter cutting tolerances, so if your part includes intricate designs and is less than 5/8" thick, then laser cutting is the ideal choice.

Q: How can I cut thick aluminum sheets?
A: Thick aluminum plates can be cut easily with abrasive waterjet cutting. See a thick aluminum project that we cut here with waterjet to get a good idea of how it works.

Q: How can I make a custom gasket?
A: You can order it. From us. First request a quote and we'll get you pricing. Then we can waterjet or laser cut it to your dimensions and tolerances. Choose your material according to your application (ie. heat resistancy, soft/hard material...) Visit our gaskets page here...


Well those are all the questions that I have time for today! Tune back in soon to catch more questions answered, and another pick of the week!

Have a great wednesday!

Sarah

Mondays Full of Manufacturing

Did you know that...
"On this day in 2003, the largest anti-war rally took place in Rome, Italy, where a crowd of 3 million gathered to protest against the USA's threat to invade Iraq." - Guinnessworldrecords.com

It's true.

And I also found out this morning, that the world steel production in 2010 is expected to be new record figure. Isn't that good news, considering what the economy has been like for the past couple years now. If you want to see a whole article on that, Metal-Supply.com has a nice little write up. Based on the article, there are a few reasons for the expected increase.

1. Chinese steel production and demand is likely to continue upwards greatly.

2. Indian steel manufacturing will hit an "all time" high this year based on the past year's turnout.

3. Manufacturing activity in many of the industrialized countries is improving, contributing to the rise in steel production this year.

But don't take my word for it, see the article and learn some more. Naturally it's just a prediction, but any thought-out prediction of an upcoming turnaround gives hope to the many shops relying on increasing production rates.

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And now... it's time for
             Sarah's Super Sweet Part of the Week

Be careful not to look too hard at the picture or you might get dizzy. The parts seen here were complex designs. However there were just a couple steps involved when creating this mystifying masterpiece.


After studying the customer’s prints, we used waterjet to cut through .470” thick aluminum. The interesting fact about this part is that it was all solely waterjet cut. The intricate design required the waterjet nozzle to loop and curve around the center in a elaborate pattern. While the use of the part is unknown, the complexity of it’s manufacturing has been solved.


I think this part is just so cool when you think of the intricacy involved. It didn't just take a shot in the dark to get it done. It was well designed, engineered, and ultimately well done!
 
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Well that's all I have for today. Check back in soon again, ya hear?
 
Have a productive Monday,
 
Sarah

Fedtech where it's always Friday!

Okay so it's not really Friday (I know, I wish I could help you there) but I do know one thing that might help... and that's why, starting today, I will be writing every Monday about a very cool project we've been doing here at Fedtech. Yes, that's right, "Sarah's Super Sweet Parts of the Week"... It's a little long winded but I'm confident it will catch on. Also, since it's dead winter in Minnesota, I thought it'd help our readers to give a little snapshot of what it looks like here in the cities: http://www.twitpic.com/1249ji


Super Sweet Pick, here we go! (insert swoosh with exciting music)

The part here says, "Jimmy Nash Homes" in their unique business design. The company manages luxury real estate in Kentucky and handles some really beautiful homes. You can visit their website if you're curious.

I really like this part because of it's unique design, and signage is one of my favorite items that we work on here at Fedtech. These parts were actually laser cut from .090" thick 6061 aluminum. If you look closely at the image, you'll notice the "A" on NASH allows for the letter to be bridged without looking tacky. This was a great design on their part, and an excellent strategy. Often times you'll see letters bridged (material is left to keep the inside from dropping out, see example at image on the right) and it doesn't always look the greatest. Here, they pulled it off great and it looks luxurious to me!

If you haven't already seen the mystery signage from last week, check that out, it was a fun little story. (See it here: http://www.fedtech.com/Business-Signage)

----------- QUESTIONS ----------

Now, onto the questions! Each time that I write, I try to mention some of the questions that I've gotten lately. So here's a few!

1) Should I use waterjet or laser cutting to cut glass?

- You definitely want to use waterjet cutting for this. Laser cutting does not work well for cutting through glass. Glass is a sensitive material, so be prepared for a little extra work on these.

2) I'd like to do rock art designs, could you help?

- Hmmm. Well if I'm interpretting this correctly, you want to cut designs into big rocks? This would be a good job for waterjet, however typically only up to 12" thick rocks. Not only this, but it'd be a little trickier because there will be different thicknesses/depths to the rock that will need to be adjusted as it cuts.

3) How do I laser cut acetal?

- You don't. At least, we don't. We typically waterjet cut acetal. Since waterjet cutting leaves no heat-affected zones, it's our best bet for clean cuts and unwarped/unmelted material.

4) I'd like to see some laser cutting videos, where can I find some?

- Here's a good place to start, our Youtube account features a few laser cutting videos and some waterjet cutting videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/WaterJetter08

5) What are some industries that waterjet serves?

- Waterjet can serve almost any industry. We tend to see alot of customers coming from machine shops, custom fixtures (lighting, panels, etc.) renewable energy segments, medical parts, custom military and defense vehicles, other automotive industries, architectural and art sculptures, appliance components, gaskets and flanges, custom flooring (tile and such) and so much more. See this page for a full list of industries we serve.

Well that's all the time I have for today. I will be sure to be more consistent from here on our and you can certainly look forward to Sarah's Super Sweet Parts of the Week...

Stay warm and drive safe,

Sarah

Meet and Greet with Fedtech

I'm a strong believer that when you're dealing with companies indirectly (online, via phone, fax, etc.) that it's hard to get to know them. I also think it's helpful then, to be able to meet and get to know the people that you're working with and trusting with your project. For this reason, I bring to you... a meet and greet session with the people of Fedtech.

Introducing the team, in no particular order...

Nate Novak

With years of experience in the shop and on the waterjet, Nate has since moved up to sales and estimating and does an excellent job. His greatest strength (according to me) is his ability to interact with customers in the way that they deserve. Each customer is unique and each project distinct to Nate. This soon-to-be-father is a family-man with a passion for good old fashioned Minnesota hockey.

Brent Erickson

Brent's story is similar to Nate's, in that they both spent their days with hands-on experience. Brent also helped the waterjets run smoothly before he came to sales and estimating at Fedtech. Brent specializes in gaskets, flanges, seals and other parts like these. He's had a lot of experience producing these parts of the years and really understands what needs to be done to produce quality parts. In Brent's spare time, he likes to fish, hunt, and do other outdoorsy stuff when he gets the chance.

Kris Cabak

Kris has been with Fedtech for nearly three years now. His role in sales and estimating has grown from simple parts to complex and intricate designs. Kris is great at nesting his parts into a sheet of material which saves customers money (don't get me wrong, they all do this, but it's a great strength of Kris'). Kris also puts the attention and detail into his parts to ensure that they are manufactured exactly how they should be. When Kris isn't at Fedtech, his other passion is his band where he plays bass guitar. You can find him on the weekends (and some weekdays even) rocking out and playing shows all around Minnesota.

Steve Sayler

Steve's role in sales and estimating at Fedtech has continued strong for 13 years now. His strengths include large, complex projects that include great detail and quantities. His experience with these projects helps Steve to get the job done quickly and efficiently. It's also important to note that Steve is an incredible chef. We all (and I mean, everyone) love when Steve comes to work with treats in his hand. I've suggested he join Top Chef, but he is much too modest for that... In Steve's free time however, he spends quality time with his wife and family, and enjoys collecting all sorts of dictionaries when he gets the chance.

Tony Chulla

Fedtech's one and only Quality Director, Tony spends much of his time measuring, inspecting, doing audits, calibrating tools, and generally ensuring quality all around Fedtech. A busy man, Tony rarely finds time to actually sit at his desk, so if you're really trying to reach him for emergency matters, it's probably best to just have him paged. Tony spent a good amount of time in sales and estimating before he moved into quality control. Before he moved to sales and estimating, he even worked back on the floor. For this reason, Tony knows everything there is to know about the in's and out's of Fedtech and the industry. In his free time, you'll find Tony reading deep novels, spending time with his family, or living for the next football game.

Kristy Fitten

Kristy is our Accounting guru. She handles everything from invoicing to purchase orders, researching vendors, and everything in between. Kristy's biggest strength is that she is able to process so much information in so little time. A true busy-body, Kristy is always working hard to get the job done and get the job done right the first time around. Last year, Kristy moved into her brand new office and has made herself comfortable in the new space with lots more room to work. In her free time, Kristy loves being with her family (which includes her adorable 2 year old son). She also enjoys reading a good book, watching movies, and keeping up with friends.

Dave Fox

Owner and founder of Fedtech, Dave is always on the go. With no time to spare, you'll rarely find Dave in his office unless he's 'just finishing up a quote' before he runs somewhere else. A true entrepreneur at heart, Dave is always looking for ways to improve the company, and reach more customers. After receiving his engineering degree (years back) Dave opened Fedtech in 1996 with two other founders. Since then, tides have shifted and Dave maintains Fedtech as his own. In his free time (if he finds free time), Dave spends time with his beloved family at home, up north, or around the world (as work requires travel, you should know). He also enjoys hunting, fishing, and being in the wild outdoors.

Christine Goossen

Human resources, payroll, you name it, Christine tackles it. She manages all of our employee benefits, and is incredibly patient with all of us when it comes to explaining how it all works. Christine is also quick to help out fellow co-workers when they're spread thin and is able to wear many hats when it comes to helping out. One of the first employees at Fedtech, Christine also is familiar with every aspect that the industry holds for Fedtech. In her spare time, Christine spends lots of time with her family (her new daughter) and attending her children's sporting events.

Sarah Whiting

Sarah has been at Fedtech for two years now and does all the marketing, advertising, content production, and website management. She manages all of our social networking (twitter, facebook, linkedin, flickr, podcasts, blogs *cough cough* and more). She can also be found wearing many hats around Fedtech as she helps the sales team stay organized, helps Kristy with excess work, helps with public relations, and other stuff too. In her spare time, you can find Sarah at the YMCA participating in water aerobics, hip hop dance class, and other activities. She is also a strong advocate for fashion, shopping, and loves being with family and friends.


For more information about Fedtech the company, visit www.fedtech.com/aboutus.html

Waiting for summer, living through winter

Well the grand winter days of Minnesota are wearing us thin. It was -7°F this morning when I came into Fedtech... Yes, we're used to it, but enough is enough. I'm ready to take back summer and get rid of these frigid days and nights. But, the show much go on and so it will!

These past couple months have been pretty busy if you couldn't tell, seeing as the last I entry that I wrote was back in early December. We've been getting a lot of requests for waterjet cutting. Which tells you two things, we do a great job with waterjet cutting (and even though we do great work with laser cutting...) the lead times are short on the lasers. Do you have a project that needs laser cutting? Now's the time to move it into production while you can!

If you haven't seen our website lately, we've added quite a few new case studies. This includes copper base plates, waterjet cut aluminum signage, urethane seals, micro machined parts and other updates as well. These projects were all very cool to watch and even more cool to read about and see photos.

We also have some news that hasn't been shared anywhere but here yet! It's pretty exciting: We're redesigning our whole website within the next 4-6 weeks! It's going to have a chic, updated look and feel. Not only this but the navigation will be much easier to manage for customers, and it will feature a search bar so that if you can't find what you're looking for, you'll be able to search the whole site for it! We have great plans for it, so I hope you'll tune in and see it when it's all done :)

Well that's it for today, I'll keep you posted with how things are going within the next couple weeks.

Until then, stay warm!

Sarah