Category: Blog

Pictures and video on MG 32520Z test-rolling 10′ plate

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You don’t get to see this every day… MG32520Z is rolling a 10′ plate.

Here are some stats on this monster:

  • Weight: almost 400 tons / 800,000 lbs
  • Machine capacity: 250 mm / 10″, able to bend plate 250 mm / 10″ thick on total length of 3,200  mm / 126″.
  • Top roll diameter: 1,400 mm / 55″
  • Side rolls diameter: 1,200 mm / 47″
  • Total length of machine: 13,700 mm / 45′
  • Height: 7,700 mm / 25.3′
  • Width: 7,100 mm / 23.3′
  • Weight of top roll: 53 tons / 116,600 lbs
  • Side rolls (2): 47 tons each / 103,400 lbs
  • 17 trucks needed for the transport from Italy to Spain

Click HERE for video on test-rolling

War of the knobs!

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C Marshall Fabrication Machinery, Inc., in no way condones war.

However, taking the silk purse from a sows ear approach to it, we can see some of the benefits of war if we look really hard, and usually not exactly where we might expect.

Take electroplating for example. In metal fabrication, electroplating is an everyday, taken for granted technology that is commonplace in our industry.

But being the inquisitive or bored mind writing this article (depending on who you talk to), I looked back and was surprised to find that the technology was discovered in 1805.

An inventive and industrious Italian chemist by the name of Luigi V Brugnatelli, using his colleague’s invention of the voltaic pile brought to being 5 years earlier, Luigi created the first environment of electrodeposition.

Unfortunately the technology was stomped on by the French Academy of Sciences for 30 years and it wasn’t until around 1839 that some British and Russian scientists independently started coming up with their own deposition processes very similar to Luigi’s.

They went forward to apply these sciences to copper electroplating of printing press plates.

Then in 1876 the first modern electroplating plant was put into production in Hamburg.

The process itself grew and made great advances in the late 19th century with the use of electric generators, but the industry itself was limited by the lack of demand.

Until the World Wars that is.

The process then went from manually operated to wooden tanks to full on automated equipment cranking out thousands of kilograms per hour of parts, armor, etc.

Had to keep up with the demand of the war machines.

This of course led to technology of plating metal on plastic by physicist Richard Feynman.

I personally think that this could be refined a bit more. It didn’t take any time at for the chrome to where off of my volume knob in my truck.

Let’s keep working it boys! Stereo knobs alone are reason enough without having to go to war for incentive!

Rebar Cutting and Bending on the Job

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Save time and money.

Steel used to reinforce concrete is known as rebar. It is usually made from carbon steel and the ridges on its surface are there to reinforce the anchoring into the concrete as well as help balancing the load between concrete and steel. Together, rebar and concrete, prevent the concrete from collapsing. A devastating example of incorrect usage of rebar is the 8.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico City in 1985 leaving the capital in crumbles and killing thousands of people; most of the collapsed buildings’ rebar was either entirely too frail and thin to support the building—if the building had rebar at all.

Rebar is measured in fractions of 1/8 increments; it is available in different grades and ranges from #3 rebar up to #18 rebar. The grade designation is equal to the minimum yield strength of the bar. For example grade 40 rebar has minimum yield strength of 40 ksi, grade 60 has a minimum of 60 ksi, and grade 75 has a minimum of 75 ksi. The most common rebar used in concrete construction is grade 60; grade 75 is used in bridges and other heavy-duty construction and grade 40 can be found in low-stress concrete constructions such as sidewalks.

Picture to left: Building of Zampa-Memorial-Suspension-Bridge in California

Rebar comes most commonly in 20′  long sticks, thus there is a need for machines to cut and form them so they fit the purpose they will be used for. Concrete contractors do not have many choices when they have to cut or bend rebar, no matter the thickness of the bar:

Both options above will get the job done, however, as the critical thing in today’s competitive world is to get the job done fast – save time – and to get it done as cost effectively as possible – save money – it is recommendable to own your machines instead of outsourcing the work. For large, detailed jobs it makes more sense to order the specific rebar from a fabricator; however for smaller jobs, owning a cutter and/or bender gets the job done faster.

Using a rebar cutting/bending machine instead of a manual tool, in addition to making the work itself much easier, you will be able to cut 3 to 4 times more rebar which of course affects productivity positively. Another thing that speaks for the rebar/cutting machine is that they make it possible to make numerous identical pieces.

The entry-level price for rebar cutters and benders is not high. They run on electric power, either from wall sockets or generators. Also, the maintenance is easy, the blades last a long time and the machines are reliable and relatively easily to repair if needed.

As each job is unique it is very important to work with a good supplier in order to ensure that correct equipment is selected.

From the desk of Cary Marshall

Pictures below: using rebar in landscaping. Photos taken at the Getty Museum Gardens, Los Angeles, CA

U.S. Manufacturing Grows at Fastest Pace in Seven Months, Leading Recovery

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Manufacturing in the U.S. expanded in December at the fastest pace in seven months, reinforcing signs the expansion is gaining momentum.

The Institute for Supply Management’s index climbed to 57 last month from 56.6 in November, the Tempe, Arizona-based group said today. A reading greater than 50 points to expansion, and the figure matched the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

Stocks rallied, sending benchmark indexes up the most in a month, on speculation U.S. growth will keep strengthening in early 2011, raising prospects for more hiring. Increased spending by American consumers and business investment is helping drive production gains at factories that make up about 11 percent of the world’s largest economy.

“The factory sector is growing at a brisk pace, and it’s getting fueled by both U.S. demand and growth in exports,” said Mike Englund, chief economist at Action Economics LLC in Boulder, Colorado, who correctly forecast the ISM figure. “The economic recovery will get help from manufacturing.”

Former Federal Reserve Governor Frederic Mishkin today said that while the central bank will complete its $600 billion bond- purchase program to help fuel the economy, a third round of so-called quantitative easing is unlikely.

“The fact that the economy is stronger right now makes it much less likely we’re going to see a QE3,” Mishkin, an economist at Columbia University in New York, said today in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop With Betty Liu.”

Click HERE for the video on the interview with Frederic Mishkin, a professor at Columbia University and former Federal Reserve governor.

Professor Mishkin speaking with Jon Erlichman and Michael McKee on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop,” also comments on the U.S. economy and outlook for inflation. (Source: Bloomberg)

Stocks Rally

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 1.1 percent to 1,271.87, its highest close since Sept. 3, 2008, as of 4 p.m. in New York. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note declined, pushing up the yield to 3.34 percent from 3.3 percent late on Dec. 31.

Another report today showed construction spending rose in November for a third month, helped in part by federal government projects. A 0.4 percent gain followed a 0.7 percent increase in October, the Commerce Department said.

The median ISM forecast of economists in the Bloomberg survey was based on 63 projections and estimates ranged from 55 to 60. The U.S. data followed a report that European manufacturing expanded more than initially estimated in December, powered by Germany’s export-led expansion.

A gauge of factory activity in the euro area rose to 57.1 from 55.3 the previous month, London-based Markit Economics said today. That’s higher than the 56.8 reported earlier for December.

China’s Economy

China’s manufacturing growth, meanwhile, slowed in December partly because of tighter monetary policy. A purchasing managers’ index fell to 53.9 from a seven-month high of 55.2 in November, China’s logistics federation and the statistics bureau said Jan. 1.

St. Petersburg, Florida-based Jabil Circuit Inc., which provides manufacturing services, is one company benefiting from stronger emerging economies such as China and India. Jabil said Dec. 20 that its revenue rose $4.1 billion in the three months ended Nov. 30, up from $3.1 billion a year earlier.

“At this point, in terms of U.S. spending, enterprise spending looks stable,” Timothy Main, chief executive officer of Jabil, said on a teleconference with analysts on Dec. 20. “International spending looks very strong and other areas of enterprise infrastructure are pretty robust.”

Orders, Production

In the U.S., factories reported faster rates of orders and production. The ISM’s bookings measure rose in December to a seven-month high.

“Manufacturers are carrying a good bit of momentum into January,” Norbert Ore, chairman of the ISM factory survey, said today on a conference call with reporters. There is “good balance between new orders and production,” and “there’s still some room” for inventory replenishment, he said.

Further gains in manufacturing may come from a pickup in consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy. Retailers’ 2010 holiday sales jumped 5.5 percent for the best performance since 2005, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, which measures sales by all payment forms. The gain was 4.1 percent a year earlier. The numbers include Internet sales and exclude automobile purchases.

Auto dealers are also seeing improved demand. Car sales in November rose to a 12.26 million unit pace, the highest since the government’s cash-for-clunkers program in August 2009, according to industry data.

Economists in December boosted forecasts for fourth-quarter growth, reflecting a pickup in consumer spending and passage of an $858 billion bill extending all Bush-era tax cuts for two years. The legislation also continues expanded unemployment insurance benefits through 2011, trims payrolls taxes and includes accelerated tax depreciation for equipment purchases.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shobhana Chandra in Washington at schandra1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net

Additional interviews on the topic. Please click the picture for the video.

Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) — Drew Matus, senior U.S. economist for UBS Securities LLC, talks about the outlook for the U.S. economy in 2011. Matus, speaking with Deirdre Bolton on Bloomberg Television’s “InsideTrack,” also discusses Federal Reserve monetary policy. (Source: Bloomberg)

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — Lakshman Achuthan, managing director of Economic Cycle Research Institute, talks about the outlook for the U.S. economy and employment in 2011. Achuthan, speaking with Melissa Long on Bloomberg Television’s “Bottom Line,” also discusses Federal Reserve policy. (Source: Bloomberg)

Paper Shrugged?

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In the metal fabrication machinery industry we talk steel steel steel all day long…and we love it.

Technology has come a long long way in metal fabrication, and we at C Marshall Fabrication Machinery don’t mind ringing our own bell and saying that we are the top of the game.  But technology changes everyday.  We keep up with it not only because we want to, but because we have to.

Ayn Rand wrote a fiction novel back in 1957 called Atlas Shrugged.  It was arguably one of the most important classics ever written.  As one reads this great work of art, one could almost say she was prophetic in her prose.  She writes of socialism, capitalism, industry, and politics in a way that points to some of the problems we see today.  But it is hidden in entertaining fiction.

Great story!  If you’ve never picked it up, you should.  Also included in the work is her description of technologies that at the time were considered science fiction.

Not so much today.

One of the main characters in the book is Hank Rearden, owner of the largest steel company in the US.  He invents a steel called rearden metal that is “to steel what steel was to iron”.  It is an alloy containing iron and copper among other things and is blue-green in color.  Stronger and lighter than normal steel, it almost sounds like the titanium we have today.  You will have to read the book to find out what it was used for and integral it was to the story.  Again, I strongly suggest you do.

The point is, she dreamed technology as other fiction and science fiction writers have done for years only to later have those dreams become a reality.  I’m sure you are familiar with quite a few examples of this, so no need to go there.

But there is a new one on the block I would like to talk about.

Buckypaper.  Yup.  That’s the name!

Invented by an FSU Professor, Dr. Ben Wang, this stuff is 10 times lighter than steel and 250 times stronger.  Yes, 250 times!

Buckypaper is made from “buckyballs” amazingly strong fibers about 1/50,000th the diameter of a human hair and was named after Buckminsterfullerene, a molecule whose powerful atomic bonds make 2 times as hard as a diamond.

Their discovery contributed  directly to the development of buckypaper.

Not only strong it is also highly conductive to heat and electricity.

Sounds like something right out of science fiction huh?  🙂

Michael Graves

MG Plate Rolls vs the Need of Special Alloy Rolls

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Special alloy rolls are necessary when there is a need to roll a relatively tight diameter on a machine where the standard roll is too large. The question is, however, should you really choose a special alloy roll or should you consider an option that gives you the benefits of the alloy roll but doesn’t limit the usage of your machine?

For an example, a 10’ X 3/8” roll should be used with a 10” roll diameter. Let’s say a person is looking for a roll of this size but has a requirement of rolling 13” diameters. He would have to by a smaller machine unless the power requirements called for the 10’ X 3/8” and in that case he would need a machine with a reduced diameter top roll. This roll would have to be a special alloy roll because it would be smaller yet still being able to do the work of a roll with more mass.

Once you have made the decision to use a smaller special alloy roll you have turned your machine into a very narrow usage machine. A special alloy roll can take more deflection without taking a set (warping) and still go back to it original position. However, a special allow roll still has the same characteristics as any other roll. If it has less mass it will deflect more. So, having a smaller roll – even a special alloy roll – will mean you cannot do the range of work you could with the standard diameter roll. You will have severe barrel defects if you work anything beyond the mid-range of the machine. For this reason it is always better to bring the most massive roll to what ever job you are doing.

MG rolls are capable of working to 1.1 times the top roll diameter at about 60% of its capacity by full length. Almost all other machines can only work to 1.4 or 1.5 times the top roll diameter by full length.

Example: a MG plate roll and a competitor’s plate roll; both with 10” diameter top rolls.

If a job requires a 13” diameter the competitor would have to quote a smaller machine or a 10’ X 3/8” machine with a smaller special alloy roll. MG roll, however, would be able to roll the part with no problem even if the job called out for an 11” diameter. It does this with the full 10” diameter without having to reduce the roll to an 8.6” diameter and reducing the effectiveness of the roll.

The reason why MG rolls can work up to 1.1 times the top roll diameter is their exclusive geometry. It is not a matter of power at all. In fact, MG’s geometry allows it to use less power for any given job making it the most energy-efficient roll on the market. MG rolls also use less horse power than the competitor.

If you are looking for a bigger machine to make a smaller diameter you can always choose a special alloy roll; however, if you want to get a smaller diameter part without sacrificing a broader range of rolling, your best choice is the MG roll.

Cary Marshall, CMF

Texas Manufacturing Activity Grows for Fourth Consecutive Month

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The future new orders index rose to its highest level in four years.

Factory activity increased in December, according to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey released on Dec. 27. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, was positive for the fourth consecutive month.

Manufacturers’ six-month outlook continued to improve. The future indexes for production and shipments edged up further; more than half of respondents expect increases in these measures in coming months. The future new orders index rose to its highest level in four years, with all firms anticipating either increased or stable order volumes.

The future general business activity index advanced from 26 to 37, and the future company outlook index rose to 38, with 94% of firms anticipating similar or improved conditions six months from now.

Other indicators of current activity also remained positive, signaling continued growth in manufacturing. The shipments index held steady at a reading of 8, and the capacity utilization index rose from 10 to 15, with 29% of manufacturers reporting an increase.

The new orders index declined in December but stayed in positive territory, with more than three-fourths of firms noting increased or unchanged order volumes.

Measures of general business conditions remained positive in December. The general business activity index came in at 13, with nearly a quarter of respondents noting improved activity. The company outlook index edged down to 15, although the share of manufacturers who said their outlook improved rose to its highest level since May.

Labor market indicators improved notably this month. The employment index rose from 6 in November to 15 in December, reaching its highest level since early 2007. Twenty-four percent of firms reported hiring new workers, compared with 9% reporting layoffs. Hours worked increased again this month, and the wages and benefits index rose from 5 to 10.

The Dallas Fed conducts the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey monthly to obtain a timely assessment of the state’s factory activity. Data were collected Dec. 14–21, and 96 Texas manufacturers responded to the survey. Firms are asked whether output, employment, orders, prices and other indicators increased, decreased or remained unchanged over the previous month.

Prices climbed again in December. Input costs remained on an upward trend, with the raw materials price index rising from 35 to 44. Forty-six percent of manufacturers saw an increase in prices paid for raw materials, compared with only 2% who saw a decrease. Finished goods prices rose for the second month in a row, although the great majority of respondents continued to note no change. More than half of respondents anticipate further increases in raw materials prices over the next six months, while 37% expect higher finished goods prices.

Industry Week Dec. 27, 2010

Fabtech 2010 Post Show Report

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FINAL VERIFIED STATISTICS:

  • Attendance: 21,929
  • Exhibitors: 1,138
  • Square Feet: 370,400

EXHIBITOR SURVEY RESULTS

  • 82% of exhibitors were satisfied or very satisfied with the QUALITY of attendees at the show.
  • 66% of exhibitors were satisfied or very satisfied with the QUANTITY of attendees at the show.
  • 77% of exhibitors were satisfied or very satisfied with the FABTECH show overall.

Source: Exhibitor Survey

Please click HERE to read the full 2010 Post Show Report

October Machine Tool Sales Drop 2.5%, but Factors Suggest Strength

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Sales of machine tool sales to U.S. manufacturers and machine shops fell 2.5% during October, from $399.76 million to $387.13, according to data supplied by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Assn. (AMTDA) The information is based on actual data reported by companies participating in their monthly U.S. Machine Tool Consumption program, which includes information on a national and regional basis.

A separate source, IndustryInsight, indicates that sales of new machine tools in the U.S. totaled 1,215 units in October, which was an increase from September when it found 1,108 new units were sold. IndustryInsight also reports that October sales of used machine tools totaled 789 units.

The disparity between the two reports may be accounted for by the value of the machine tools sold during September, and/or by some differences in recording the dates of sales and deliveries. The USMTC September figures are somewhat anomalous in that they include data from sales of manufacturing technology during IMTS 2010, the industry’s biennial trade expo. Following that, the October USMTC results are considered strong, and represent a 154.9% improvement over October 2009 when manufacturing technology consumption totaled $151.86 million.

“Never in the history of the USMTC have we seen a post-IMTS October rival September so closely,” according to AMT president Douglas K. Woods.

Woods also said “increased Sec. 179 expensing” — a reference to an Internal Revenue Service allowance that businesses use to claim the cost of certain types of property as an expense, rather than a capital investment to be depreciated — “and 50% bonus depreciation enacted in late September helped offset the declines we normally see after a show.”

For the calendar year, the USMTC finds that January-October 2010 manufacturing consumption amounts to $2,477.06 million, an increase of 83.2% over the comparable 10-month period of 2009.

In regional sales, strong results from the Northeast and West offset the declines in other areas. October sales in the Northeast totaled $97.59 million, a 51% rise in manufacturing technology consumption from September’s $64.62 million, and a 277.5% improvement over October 2009. Year-to-date sales in the region amount to $461.40 million, up 75.9% versus the January-October 2009 period, according to the USMTC.

In the West, manufacturing technology consumption came in at $40.41 million for the month, 29.4% above the $31.24 million recorded for September and 78.6% above the October 2009 result. The year-to-date total for the region is $268.73 million, up 40.9% over the region’s January-October 2009 results.

The value of manufacturing technology in the Midwest was greater than in any other region during October at $116.66 million, but still represented a 3.3% decline from $120.67 during September. It was, however, a 147.5% improvement over October 2009 and it brings year-to-date consumption in the region to $349.01 million, a rise of 86.3% for the comparable period of 2009.

The Central region reported manufacturing technology consumption totaling $92.45 million for October, 18.7% less than September’s $113.72 million, but 167.7% better than October 2009 consumption. For the 10 months of 2010, the Central region has posted a total of $651.50 million, 101.2% better than the comparable figure for 2009.

October consumption in the Southern region amounted to $40.01 million, according to the USMTC, a 40.2% drop from September’s $66.92 million total but an improvement of 84.3% over October 2009. The region’s year-to-date consumption totals $349.01 million, 86.3% better than the regional consumption total for January-October 2009.

From American Machinist 12/15/2010

Graphs from AMTDA December 13, 2010 release “Manufacturing technology consumption up 83.2% year-to-date”

U.S. Factories See Stronger Sales, Spending in 2011, ISM Says

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Manufacturers in the U.S. are more optimistic about sales next year and plan to ramp up spending on new equipment, signaling factories will keep leading the economic recovery, according to a survey by the Institute for Supply Management.

Purchasing managers at factories anticipate sales will grow 5.6 percent next year and business capital investment will jump 15 percent, the Tempe, Arizona-based group’s semiannual forecast showed today. Sales and spending will increase at a slower pace among service providers that account for about 90 percent of the economy.

Manufacturers “are optimistic about their organizations’ prospects as they consider the first half of 2011, and they are even more positive about the second half,” Norbert Ore, chairman of the group’s factory survey, said in a statement. “While 2010 has been a year of recovery in manufacturing, our forecast sees improvements in both investment and employment.”

The gains in sales and investment exceed projected increases in payrolls, indicating the labor market will be slow to improve. Factory employment is projected to increase 1.8 percent in 2011, compared with a 0.3 percent rise at service industries.

A weakening dollar and demand for American-made goods in faster-growing markets such as China and Brazil are lifting growth at factories, driving the recovery. Holiday-season sales gains at retailers indicate services also are contributing to the expansion.

Revenue is forecast to rise 3.4 percent at service industries, while capital spending is projected to increase 3.7 percent.

More Optimism

Services “have a higher level of optimism about the next 12 months than they had last December for 2010,” Anthony Nieves, chairman of the group’s services survey, said in a statement.

Earlier this month, ISM figures for November showed manufacturing grew for a 16th consecutive month, and service industries expanded at the fastest pace in six months.

Even so, the world’s largest economy isn’t growing quick enough to bring down unemployment. The jobless rate rose to seven-month high of 9.8 percent in November and payroll gains slowed to 39,000 from 172,000 in the previous month, a Labor Department report showed on Dec. 3.

Today’s survey showed manufacturing revenue will post a 7.9 percent increase in 2010. Sales at service companies will rise 0.2 percent this year, the group said.

Retail sales rose in November by the most in eight months, led by Abercombie & Fitch Co. and J.C Penney Co., as shoppers took advantage of discounts, particularly during the Thanksgiving weekend. Overall, same-store sales at the more than 30 chains tracked by Retail Metrics Inc. increased 5.3 percent, beating analysts’ estimates.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shobhana Chandra in Washington at schandra1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net