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Home » Authors » Dennis Sowards

Articles by Dennis Sowards

improve your shop's operations

Making time to improve your shop's operations

Dennis Sowards
November 1, 2018
No Comments

Most contractors find themselves operating in two work modes: Get work. Do work. As the economy stands now, many shops are in the do work phase. But, the problem is, neither mode allows time for an improve work phase.


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lean and steel feature

Fight high steel prices with efficient sheet metal shop operations

Dennis Sowards
June 2, 2018
One Comment

Many HVAC distributors didn’t waste time passing along price increases that they blamed on the new 25 percent tariff on imported steel entering the U.S.  


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five simple ways to boost shop efficiency

Five lean manufacturing techniques that boost shop efficiency

Dennis Sowards
November 16, 2017
11 Comments

If you haven’t started applying lean construction techniques to your sheet metal shop, it’s not too late to start and get ahead of your competition. A few years ago, many ductwork fabrication shop owners wondered if lean manufacturing techniques actually could apply to job shops (high mix/low volume).


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Using lean manufacturing

How to implement lean manufacturing at ductwork fabrication shops

Dennis Sowards
July 18, 2017
No Comments

There are a number of articles and books written on lean manufacturing techniques and lean construction, including many in the pages of Snips about applying lean in sheet metal shops. This article will highlight basic lean principles and tools specific to the spiral fabrication shop.


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Sheet metal shop

50 ways to remove excess work from your sheet metal shop

Dennis Sowards
March 29, 2017
One Comment

Lean manufacturing brings added value to customers and reduces the wasting of resources. There are many wastes in how HVAC construction contractors work.


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Five ways to improve ductwork fabrication

Five ways to improve ductwork fabrication

Dennis Sowards
December 7, 2016
No Comments

Lean manufacturing techniques are being applied successfully throughout the construction industry and are especially useful in the shop. To improve your ductwork fabrication methods, consider these five suggestions.


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DecemberLean_FT
Wasting away

Lean manufacturing tips to eliminate unnecessary work

Dennis Sowards
December 2, 2015
No Comments

While many lean manufacturing techniques were pioneered in the automobile industry, it has also been successfully applied to high-mix, low-volume job shops including sheet metal forming shops.


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GreenLean_FT

5 ways to use lean in green HVAC construction

Dennis Sowards
July 1, 2015
No Comments

While lean theories were first designed for and implemented in manufacturing, it has proven effective in reducing costs and improving productivity in HVAC construction. Lean seeks to minimize inventory.


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LeanManufacturing_FT

BIM and lean construction work best in tandem

Dennis Sowards
May 1, 2015
No Comments

When building information modeling and lean were first introduced in construction several years ago, there was some discussion about which was better.


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Machinery_FT

10-plus considerations for placing and using sheet metal forming machinery

Dennis Sowards
April 1, 2015
No Comments

Acquiring new sheet metal forming machinery has benefits, and possible pitfalls, for most HVAC construction contractors.


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