As a metal fabricator for over 35 years, we are painfully aware of the fact that engineers are continually tightening up their tolerance restrictions on blueprints submitted for fabrication.

It is true that metals processing equipment is ever improving and capable of some of the tight tolerances that these engineers are asking for.

Regardless of some of the equipment in this business that is capable of such tolerances, the problem remains that the Welding process itself is basically unchanged in the past 50 years or more, and that steel is still produced with just about the same shape and tolerances characteristics as it was nearly 50 years ago.

The straightness and even dimensions of stock steel often fall outside the tolerances as noted in the tolerance blocks of drawings submitted for fabrication, or manufacture.

This problem is further compounded in the process of welding which itself creates heat which further distorts the size and straightness of the steels.

We as manufacturers are always asking ourselves the question, “Does the engineer really intend us to spend extra time and money to reach these tolerance block tolerances, or do they have more wiggle room than is being indicated on the drawing.”

We can do things that will bring these welded products into tolerance.

We will stress relieve, & straighten after welding.

We will machine holes, surfaces, and cutouts after stress relieving.

The question is, and always will be. “Is it really necessary to spend all this time, extra processes, and money to achieve?”

Or, can the engineer design and tolerance drawings realistic to, and prudently achievable, to the real needs of the welded product.

Palatine Welding sales and estimating professionals are always willing to sit down with engineers, and discuss the cost and manufacturing probability of any of their welded metals projects.

Sincerely – Don Ellis – Sales /Estimator, 30 years Metals Fabrications and Welding Experience.

In our business, stress is not something that you can use yoga, meditation, or even exercise to cure.
Steel is subjected to stress in the weld affected areas of a weldment.
It’s kind of like making a fist and tightening all the muscles in your arm.
Eventually you’ll need to relax your muscles.
Eventually the stresses in the weldment would also relax.
The problem is, that could take months.
In those months of relaxing, the weldments shape and size can change.
This can be a problem if the weldment needs to be very precise.
In this day and age of needing everything now, We need to hurry up this process.
The most common method is thermal stress relief.
That is, putting it in an oven and controlled heating and cooling of the entire Weldment.
The less common method is to vibratory stress Relieve.
That is, clamping a vibrator to the weldment, and vibrating it until it stress relieves.
That’s stress relieve 101. It’s not just for humans.

Perfect

12/8/12

One of the Fabricators in our shop came up to me just the other day.

I had just finished with a customer that came over to our shop to inspect some frames we had just finished for them.

We were asked by the customer to adjust some minor imperfections on the frame.

This fabricator, said to me, “ You know Don, that customer wants those frame perfect. We cannot give them perfect.”

My answer to him was a quick, “Yes we can” as I hurried off on some other business.

Later on thinking about this I felt that I owed some type of explanation regarding that statement.

Dictionary “Perfect”

being entirely without fault or defect : flawless

Of course, the fabricator was right. We can’t give them perfect.

Perfect does not really exist, does it.

Not unless I disagree with the Dictionary.

Perfect is subject to point of view.

Let’s looks at it from a Palatine Welding Point of view.

Perfect to the Salesman of the project, is we got the job for the price we wanted to get it for.

Perfect to the Estimator means the shop completed the project in the number of hours that the Estimator planned that the job should take to complete, and that the materials costs were equal to the cost of materials when they were purchased.

Perfect to the shop is that the job was completed, and the shop did not need to rework anything.

Perfect to the Inspection department is that the job had no errors that needed to be reported to management, and the job did not come back from the customer with any reported errors that we did not catch.

Perfect to the Accounting department, is that the project was completed under budget, and we realized a profit, or at least broke even and can pay our employees and all the bills associated with the project.

Perfect to the customer is that they receive a usable product, and receive it at the time that they need it for a price that will allow them to be able to make a profit, or at least break even. They have to pay their bills and employees also.

That’s a lot of stuff to get right to be perfect in our business.

That’s why I disagree with the definition of perfect.

My definition of Perfect>

Regardless of the knowledge that perfect does not exist, that you drive yourself in every way to attempt to reach perfection, even though you are fully aware that reaching perfection is not really something that you can accomplish.

And then when you do not accomplish perfection, and that you are made aware that you did not accomplish it, that you make an honest effort to repair this imperfection to the best of your ability.

Your dedication to this will be appreciated, and rewarded as long as you display a desire to be as close to perfection as you are capable of being.

A commitment to this is my view of perfect.

In my years of service with Palatine Welding, I have continually seen a commitment to this definition with everything that we do.

Yes, it is true that we have strived for perfection and have not achieved it.

But, it is the dedication to the continued attempt to repair imperfections, and to accomplish perfection that is inspiring.

Our customers are continually reminded of this, by myself and the rest of the sales department, and many of these customers have witnessed the results of our dedication.

These customers have rewarded us with their continued faith that we can accomplish their work, and do it satisfactorily to their various needs.

Imperfection is only a result of giving up the hope that you can ever achieve Perfection, and giving up trying.

As long as you do not give up, you will achieve the perfection as I describe it to exist.

___________________________________________________________________

 

I’d like to take this moment to welcome Mat, to the offices in the position of Job processing. Mat is a Mechanical Engineering graduate. He just completed a mandatory period of time working in our shop to learn the various functions of our shop. This training period is very important to his success at preparing the documents, securing materials, and securing outside processes required for projects.

Good Luck in your new Function, and of course I am wishing you many successes.

 

Don Ellis – Sales Manager

 

In welding a positioner is a piece of machinery that gets your weldment into position. It will turn it. It will Tip it. It can rotate it. Even though I good welder can weld in almost any position, The best welds are still made when gravity is helping to pull the weld down into the weld seam.
Palatine Welding Is positioning itself to be the best welding company in the Chicagoland area.

Check us out on Google + (Palatine Welding Co)

As it does happen sometimes, and it’s a good thing. People are putting Weldments on their gift list.

No not really!
We are a real good metal fabrication and welding shop, but no we have not had the pleasure of making a submarine yet.
That would be fun.
This is just a nice cylinder a element in process in our shop now

Palatine Welding Company    10/2012

Is conveniently located approximately 30 miles N.W. of Chicago, IL. Near the intersection of Northwest Hwy. (Rt.14) and Rte. 53, alongside of the NW Commuter Train tracks.

Beautiful Arlington Park Race Track sits just east of us, on the other side of Rte. 53.

Rolling Meadows, the Town we are actually in is on our South side, and Palatine, as per our name, is across Rte. 14 on our North Side.

The story here is that we didn’t move to a new town. We are where we always have been for more than 50 yrs. The town border moved, which placed us into Rolling Meadows some time ago.

Carl, one of the current owner was selling Steel, Aluminum, Stainless Steel, & Alloy Steel for a major Chicago area Metals supplier, and was selling it to the Berdnick’s of which were the original owners of Palatine Welding. The street we are on is currently named for the family that originally owned the business.

The Berdnick’s, of whom were up in age at the time, and needing a way out of the business, recognized Carl as being the type of person that would do well with this type of business.

Welding and Metal Fabricating is not the easiest business to get involved with, but Carl was well suited to it. He already had a thorough knowledge of Metals, and their properties.  He was a hard working industries type of individual, being the son of a brick layer, and having helped his dad with the back breaking work of his father’s trade for many of his younger years.

The Berdnick’s arranged a meeting with Carl & Dana Piacenza about buying the business. They agreed, but thought it was something they would do in the future. Nick Berdnick, unfortunately, soon after had a fatal heart attack. Irene Berdnick offered Carl & Dana a loan to buy the business. Irene Berdnick also stayed on to help them get organized, and gave lots of good advise. The Piacenza’s say thank you to Irene for your faith in us.

In 1973, Carl & Dana took over the reins of this Metal Fabrication Job Shop, which at the time looked a bit like “Sanford & Sons Garage”. You might need to be a little up in age to know about that place. He grew it into what it is today. A well respected Industrial Manufacturing Service business.

Carl, and His wife Dana share the responsibility of running the company, and the rest of the family has joined the crew as well. Carl and Dana look at the entire crew as an extension of their own family, and treat every person in the organization with the respect that they would give to one of their own.

Please keep an eye on our new Blog. We intend to enrich, educate, and entertain with the stories of the Manufacturing World of which we exist.

Don Ellis – Sales Manager