Billy Kite

Financial analysts are predicting that 2008 will be a year of contradictions in the steel manufacturing industry. Prices rise while demand falls off: "steelflation" will become the new buzzword.

Improved automation of fabrication processes is one contributor to reducing downtime. From a technology standpoint, sheet metal fabricators look for versatility in fabricating machinery.

Typical laser cutting involves focusing the laser beam through a lens onto the surface of the material being cut. An assist gas, usually nitrogen or oxygen, is blown along the material to remove any excess molten metal from the edge.

Technological advances in manufacturing are what companies use to maintain a cutting edge over their competition. No one would believe James Bond or Star Wars would find their way to shop floor; but they have.

Galvanized steel is everywhere. How it is made, and where you can find it.