After 40 years in the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 80 — from an apprentice to foremen, business agent then business manager — Mark Saba has paid his dues as a leader in the industry. From his experience on shop floors, he naturally carries the point of view of a journeyman. But now as executive director of SMACNA Detroit, Saba is tasked with advancing the interests of the contractor.

Together, Josh and Linsey Buckley share a decade of marriage, two sons, and now, new job prospects as apprentices at the Western Washington Sheet Metal JATC Local 66. 

Much of what Alicia Butty knows about welding, she learned as a teenager working in her family’s custom manufacturing business, Butty Manufacturing in Jerseyville, Ontario.

What happens when a hurricane is your workspace? Such was the case when licensed mechanical contractor Christopher Molnar was tasked with the recovery and inspection of HVAC equipment from residential and commercial sites in Panama City, Florida, soon after Hurricane Matthew ripped through its neighborhoods.

Safety is a skill. And like any skill, it takes practice to perfect. As a company, this should be your first priority. 

How to apply the 5S method of lean manufacturing to your sheet metal shop. 

One of the most common misconceptions about lean manufacturing techniques is that they only apply to large-scale operations. Lean is the continuous improvement of operations to cut down wastes. “What lean tends to do is look at the system and try to identify what adds value,” explains Robert Van Til, Ph.D., professor of lean studies at the Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science and chair of the Industrial Systems and Engineering Department. 

JETCAM International s.a.r.l. recently announced the new v20 release of its JETCAM Expert CAM and nesting automation software.

Welding helmets that pack power and a visual punchline.

As recently as 40 years ago, the process of fabricating ductwork was incredibly time-consuming. Skilled tradesman known as “tin knockers” individually laid out each galvanized component using templates made of plywood, metal, or cardboard. They’d take a template and sketch out the location of parts on the raw steel before wielding hand and electric tin snips to cut the parts out.