Custom Steel Fabrication Explained

Steel fabrication is one of the basic methods in building and machine construction. Steel products can be prefabricated, cast, or custom fabricated. Custom steel fabrication is a specialized skill that requires years of long training and trial and error to master. Thru experience and knowledge, one will be able to do custom steel fabrication.

Most commercial building fabrication prefer custom fabricated steel to get exact measurements and avoid cutting and wasting small pieces of metal. Since custom steel fabrication involves exact measurements of the construction plan, you are less likely to produce scrap metal and maximize every material that you purchase.

The following are only some of the uses of commercially fabricated steel:

• Structural foundations and designs
• Steel pipe fabrication
• Fencing and gates for homes and buildings
• Metal artworks
• Mechanical Parts
• Furnitures
• Ornamental decors

As stated above, there are more uses for fabricated steel than just construction. It can also be used for car parts, ornamental decorations, furniture and more. If you are a custom steel fabricator, you should also try to venture the latter. Most people who own automobiles find OEM replacement parts way out of budget. If you can fabricate custom aftermarket parts at cheaper prices, you will likely be sought by these people and improve your market scope.

People are often overwhelmed with designing steel products, thinking that it is a hard job. Though it requires a lot of time and effort, it is not as hard as you think and it is actually a lucrative industry.

For construction, here are the basic concepts to remember to fabricate high quality steel beams, keeping the quality and durability in mind:

• Dead loads (D) are those which are always present. Think of a concrete slab, or the weight of a wall. Those loads are always present and do not change.
• Live Loads (L) are typically occupancy type loads. You are a type of Live Load in the structure you are in right now. American Society of Civil Engineers publishes a book (ASCE 7) with guidance for the amount of live load that should be used for different structures.
• Roof Live Loads (Lr) are similar to Live Loads, but are specific to the roof and are typically related to construction or maintenance activities.
• Snow Loads (S) are exactly want they sound like, loads cause by snow. Local building codes often dictate the appropriate ground or design snow loads to use. These are typically basic loads. Drift and unbalanced conditions should be accounted for as needed.
• Other Loads are less common in beam design but can include Wind (W), Seimic or Earthquake (E), Rain (R), Lateral Earth (H), etc.

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Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management has been around for quite some time now. But if we talk about quality, what exactly do we then mean?

A definition that is frequently used to describe it is: The ability to please the customer by fully meeting their expectations and needs. These expectations and needs refer to many aspects, the most common being delivery of products or services, the availability, performance to produce, maintainability of a delivered product, the look and feel or appearance of the goods, price level, reliability as a partner and good cost effectiveness as a result of less overhead.

Common business sense would state that an organization has to understand and measure its capacity to live up to the expectations and needs of their customers. Failure to meet the demands of the internal customer will undoubtedly and unequivocally move through the delivery chain towards the last stage, where it interfaces with the external customer. For a business to be really effective, a quality approach must cover all activities and all people at every level within the organization.

Total Quality Management is centered around a couple of key areas.

It all starts with people. The employees that every day carry out the activities required in the process all have their own customers and suppliers. If not everyone within the company is fully committed to quality, it will not be possible for the organization to excel. And as TQM is a method of continuous improvement, an internal culture will be required that stimulates this continuous improvement, and promotes and rewards effective teamwork.

Any company is built on a set of core processes that produce desired outputs by transforming inputs. For these outputs - or results - to be effective, they will have to meet external and internal customer's needs. Analysis of every process is required in order to establish areas of improvement which will lead to higher quality.

A Strategic Business Plan will have to be in place that clearly states the key performance indicators. Through performance management, these indicators will be controlled, and continuous monitoring will quickly show any deviations from the plan.

A Quality Management System finally will be used to keep track of all achievements. It is a vital component and will highly contribute to reaching the goals as laid out in the strategic business plan.

The implementation of a TQM program can be quite challenging. Before starting any activities, it is important for an organization to clarify the level of commitment within the management team and the real motivation which supports the decision to introduce it. There are many points that have to be considered, already an early stage.

One should start with establishing a systematic plan which will be used for the implementation of TQM. Barriers to process improvement should be eliminated, and communications and teamwork must be improved. There has to be an urge and recognition that systems must be managed. In analyzing the processes, it is important that only facts are used. Quality has a lot to do with the right mentality, and establishing a culture that inspires to do things right already the first time is required. Up to date methods of supervision is best used in order to remove fear for change among employees. Personnel should be trained and provided with a thorough understanding of the relationship between supplier and the customer. The subject matter experts will have to be educated and trained in order to continuously develop their skills and knowledge. Last but not least, Within the entire organization, long term commitment to continuous quality improvement has to be introduced and eventually established.

Applying Total Quality Management within an organization has many benefits. Managing quality as a way to achieve excellence means that the business has to be managed in such a manner that every job and process that is performed, is carried out right, each and every time, not just the first time. The reputation of any business is built on the excellence and quality of the services and products it delivers. If applied correctly, quality management can be an effective competitive attribute, which leads to more profits because of improved customer satisfaction and increased market share.

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What's Different About Mobile Learning?

The digital age has led to the development of a new relationship between teachers and learners that was unimaginable in traditional classroom-based teaching. Traditional classrooms were typically teacher-centric, with little or negligible communication and interaction between the two. Mobile devices, on the other hand, have created new learning opportunities for both students and teachers. This new age learning gives more importance to students, their individual learning styles, in order to enhance performance. It is more student-centric, the main focus being on the learners.

By mobile learning, we mean the use of mobile phones (Smartphone, iPads, tablets, and many more) to impart education to people. Nowadays, a rising number of educational institutes as well as corporate organizations are shifting towards mobile learning because of the portability it offers to learn while on the move. You no longer need to sit in classrooms to attend classes; all you need is a mobile device to instantly get connected with your teacher and start learning on the spot.

Features and Benefits of Mobile Learning

Portable

Mobile devices make learning portable, meaning you can access the course materials from anywhere around the world. Learning and work can go hand in hand. Hence, working students don't waste time attending classes and company workers can receive training on the job.

Individualized

Through mobile learning, you can address each individual separately compared to conventional classrooms where you have to deal with a large group of students. Teachers can answer questions of learners, individually and also motivate them to perform better at examinations.

Exciting

Students feel much more excited whilst learning using their mobile phones. They can access the websites 24x7 and also complete registration to a class or training program via their mobile phones. It, therefore, makes the whole process of learning an exciting affair.

Mobile devices are ideal for workers who need some last-minute suggestion to complete a particular work or project. They can instantly call up their boss to get step-by-step advice on what has to be done. Mobile learning ensures world-class collaboration by which learning and support can be provided to any individual irrespective of geographical dispersals. Workers or students located at different regions can easily discuss about a problem using their Smartphone or iPad.

Mobiles provide an informal way of learning as compared to conventional classrooms where you have to be present on time wearing school uniforms and school badges. Learners can always stay in touch with each other and converse and share valuable learning materials, 24 hours a day.

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Some Information About Automobile Engineering

Automotive engineering is the field of engineering that deals with the production, manufacture, design, research and development pertaining to vehicles such as cars, trucks, etc. The career field for this section of engineering is broken up into three broad categories, namely - production, development and manufacturing. The production field deals with the designing and testing of the engines, transmission related parts and other portions that will help to assure safety, reliability and performance. The development field deals with the coordination of the overall design and the setting of the specifications of various individual parts is done in this specialization category. The manufacturing of various parts as well as the final assembly of the entire machine is done in the manufacturing field.

There are two paths that you can take if you want to be an automotive engineer - mechanical engineering and automotive engineering technology. Since the result of both the courses is more or less the same the basic requirements for both the courses are not too different from each other. You are required to have a background of physics, chemistry and mathematics in your early academic career but, since automotive engineering does require computer usage in the form of Computer Assisted Design and Modeling you will have to incorporate computer courses in your educationally formative years.

If you are looking into the production field and want to be a production engineer then you will need to take up courses in BSc in automotive engineering technology. This degree will help you to work on the designing and testing of specific components and safety measures. The study course will give most importance to applied design and testing. The schools with the best records for this degree are the Ferris State University in Michigan and the Arizona State University. The schools are also known to give internship programs that allow you to learn while on the job.

Getting a BSc degree in mechanical engineering will provide you with work related to the broader dimensions in terms of the design and manufacture of automobiles. The basic courses will give due credence to physics, chemistry and mathematics as they are the backbone courses of any engineering degree. Apart from this the school will also provide courses in analysis, design and the theory of the engineering involved by means of extensive laboratory work. Along this path you will find that the specialization in this field will be quite limited at the undergraduate level. Aspirants for automotive engineering have been known to basically focus on the preparation for graduate school. At the Master's level most courses are focused on the study of electrical and mechanical engineering aspects that are applicable to vehicles, the systems design and methods of analysis on an advanced level. The course generally takes approximately two years and in most universities like the one in Michigan the courses that are offered require about 30 semester hours of study time.

At the end of the courses you will need certification and the certification exams will be offered by certain organizations like the Society of Automobile Engineers and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers.

It's always good to make sure that even if you think you know what you want to do, that you evaluate all your options. That's why we've created this site designed to help you also explore automobile engineering courses

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Laser Measuring Devices And What They Do?

Laser measuring devices are pocket-sized, digital instruments that can measure from a few inches to over one hundred feet.

Using a laser measuring device is very easy and involves very few steps. Just point to a target, press a button, and the device immediately displays on the screen the distance to the target. This can be done by one person since there is nothing to hold at the other end, as was the case with old-fashioned tape measure, and even using one hand since the keypad is small and within finger reach. It is easy for a single person to make multiple measurements involving large dimensions that would have required a team using standard tape measure.

The mathematics involved is straight forward. A narrow laser beam is sent towards a target and the time taken for the pulse to be reflected back to the sensor is measured. This number is divided by two times the speed of light to give the one-way distance. Measurements are very accurate. The precision is extremely high for ordinary spatial measurements although accuracy falls at the sub-millimeter level due to time delays in the circuit.

Many models accept two different distances (A and B) that can be entered into the instrument and then subtracted from specific measured lengths. This enables the user to see the direction in which the device must be moved since the display shows a direction arrow with the current staking-out distance. One meter to the next staking-out point the instrument gives an audible signal.

If you need to make repetitive measurements quickly, then laser measuring devices that can operate in continuous laser mode are necessary. This mode minimizes the number of key strokes so you are able of focus more on taking measurements instead of fidgeting with the panel. With all those perfect capabilities, measuring distance of two separate objects is something that can be mastered easily.

The bigger the measuring range of the device, the more expensive it is. Many laser distance meters even have a swing out pin for measuring corners. Other useful features to look for are area and volume calculations, a built-in calculator allowing addition and subtraction of measurements, tripod mounts, water-resistant casing, hand strap and an LED display that can vary its brightness depending on the surrounding illumination.

Laser measuring devices are commonly used by architects, surveyors, engineers, real estate agents, insurance brokers, golfers and police officers. Professional models permit the calculation of length, width, height, distance, and compute area and volume quickly and accurately. The high portability of these units is a big advantage. Most laser measuring devices have ergonomic designs and are also secure against dust, jet water and 6-foot drops for durability in rough and abusive environments.

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Open Source Learning Management Systems

The trend of open source learning management systems has grown recently to such an extent that you can now choose the system that suits you best. The "open-source" characteristic is their common, most important feature, as the user has the possibility and permission to change, improve and even distribute the software further.

The most popular of these learning management systems is Moodle, which we already discussed several times and will discuss further. Today, we're going to look at other similar platforms that might be suitable for your business.

DoceboLMS is a SCORM compliant platform, used in corporate environments, government and education. They offer free online training in the form of audio/video presentation, divided into categories for each topic. You can choose to play a "serious game", which is actually the simulation of managing an e-learning project. Trying these tutorials will help you decide whether this is the right platform for your needs.

Intermediate feedback in a Docebo serious game simulator

An interesting feature of Docebo is the possibility of video chat between participants in a course.

Dokeos is another learning suite, available in four languages (English, French, Spanish, Dutch), which offers the appropriate platform for e-learning and blended learning management. Some of its main features would be the social network tool, mindmapping, document templates, quiz templates and graphic reporting of students' progress. The interface is user-friendly and the forums provide the necessary information for a beginner.

Features of Dekoes

The platform emphasizes on good design, which is a feature often left out by e-learning platforms. The "Dokeos E-Learning Studio" allows designers to work with free resources, templates, images, mascots, and so on. This platform looks very contemporary and it is most probably attractive for students, as it is highly interactive and illustrated.

Claroline.net was initiated in Belgium, in 2001, and it offers all the basic features of a learning management system: publishing documents in various formats, discussion forums, student groups, exercises, agenda, paper submission etc. They take pride in their usability, since the instructor only needs to be familiar with a browser in order to work with Claroline. Dedicated training will not be necessary, so instructors can concentrate on education rather than on technical matters.

Claroline demo course

For certain fees, Claroline offer such services as: hosting and support (installation, backup, updates, securization, phone and e-mail technical support), face to face training and customization.

A very awarded learning system is OLAT, having won the first Medida Prix in 2000, the Swiss Open Source Award in 2008 and The Leadership Award for best open source LMS in 2009. Although created for universities, the platform is suitable for businesses as well. OLAT supports collaborative group work, including the now classic discussion forums, chats, calendars and wikis. A downside would be that some of the informational/demo material is solely in German.

A demo blog in OLAT

OLAT is also available on the most important social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc), which creates great opportunities for the members to interact with each other outside of the e-learning platform.

Of course, there are several other open source LMS, more or less popular than the ones mentioned above: Sakai Project, ATutor, openElms, Ganesha, eFront or eConf. A good idea, before deciding which platform to choose, would be to research more of them and find the one with the best features for your needs. While some open source LMS might have more features than others, these might not be of any interest to business. The suitable features, rather than the most features, that's what matters in this field. You should also note the usability and accessibility of these platforms, which may aid or confuse your trainees just as easily.

Are you looking for more resources to help you create training materials, hosting online training, or tips for rapid development of online training?

Visit www.eversity.co  today. There are articles and tips may help you solve your problems and get new ideas you can implement in your training programs.

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