From templates to 3D scanning, the evolution of automated dome cutting
Ask any fabricator about the toughest part of building a pressure vessel or storage tank, and you’ll likely get the same answer: the dome, or head. Whether dished, torispherical, or conical, each dome must be fitted with precisely located openings, bevels, and trims that align seamlessly with adjoining shells.
For decades, dome cutting remained as much art as science. Intersections were physically laid out using templates and projection drawings. Intersection points were calculated, marked on curved surfaces, and manually cut with plasma or oxyfuel torches. The process was slow, inconsistent, and highly dependent on the skill of experienced craftsmen.
Today’s fabricators face rising demands for precision, speed, and repeatability while contending with a shrinking pool of experienced operators. At the same time, domes have grown larger and tolerances tighter. Traditional manual cutting methods are not only reaching their practical limits in terms of accuracy and efficiency, but they also pose serious safety and health risks. Operators often must work from scaffolding to reach upper surfaces, surrounded by hot sparks, heavy dust, and metal fumes—conditions that increase both physical strain and exposure hazards. Together, these challenges underscore the need for a safer, more automated approach to dome cutting.
Over the last decade, advanced fabricating technology has emerged to help with this challenging fabricating task. What has really made a difference is the use of complete dome-body scanning, a breakthrough that transformed dome cutting from a manual, high-risk task into a precise, largely automated workflow.
Read the complete article in The Fabricator here.
Why Busy Isn’t Always Better on the Shop Floor
Walk into nearly any metal processing facility, whether it’s a regional service center, large manufacturer or small fab shop, and you’ll see the same thing: saws sawing, lasers cutting, plasma burning and forklifts carrying material to the loading dock. From the production floor to the front office, things are happening and everyone’s working hard to hit tight delivery schedules.
Don’t confuse activity with productivity. A busy shop isn’t always a productive one. Understanding that separates those who stay afloat from those who grow profitably.
Read the article here in Metal center News.
AI-Powered Generative Design Moves Engineering from Iteration to Innovation
Innovation is transformative. It’s why we ride in a Mustang instead of on a mustang. Centuries of knowledge now fit in the palm of our hand. Products move from reliable to revolutionary. Yet ideas without real-world grounding remain ideas. True innovation happens when creativity is anchored in physics, materials, and manufacturability.
For decades, engineers have walked that line, brainstorming concepts, building models, running analyses, and refining geometry step by step. But what if that process could be not just faster, but fundamentally better? What if thousands of physics-based design alternatives could be explored in the earliest stages of development?
That’s the impact of AI-powered generative design. By combining AI with engineering constraints, these tools put exploration directly in the designer’s hands. They quickly generate and evaluate thousands of design permutations against goals like weight, stiffness, cost, or manufacturability.
The result isn’t just faster iteration, it’s access to higher-performing, better-optimized solutions that would be difficult or impossible to reach through traditional methods.
Read the Design News article here.
Hidden Failure Modes (Almost) Every Engineer Misses – Until Physical Testing
There’s no denying that digital engineering has transformed product development. Simulations accelerate design revisions, promote innovation through cost-efficient design exploration, and allow early validation checks. Yet even with today’s advanced tools, failures still emerge during durability testing, NVH evaluations, and customer usage. When this happens, the results (high scrap rates, excessive warranty claims, litigation, etc.) can negate many digital workflow advantages.
When failures surface, the root cause is often traced to the forces, boundary conditions, and complex dynamic interactions associated with the physical world. That’s why, even in an era dominated by AI and advanced digital tools, physical testing remains irreplaceable.
Read the entire Design News article here.
Bending in Tandem
Proudly American-owned and operated, Vicon Fabricating Company (Mentor, OH) has built a reputation for heavy-duty steel fabrication specializing in long lengths, thick gauges and precise repeatability. Working with both domestic and foreign high-strength steels, the company produces components that meet the toughest strength and performance standards.
When growing demand began to push the limits of its metal forming capacity, Vicon turned to its trusted partner, Cincinnati Incorporated (CI). The result was a new 40-foot x 2500 ton press-brake system that expanded capability and effectively doubled production, further solidifying Vicon’s reputation as a source for forming long, heavy components.
Read the entire Fab Shop Direct article here.
What is AI Powered Generative Design?
Tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI), such as generative design, are reshaping product development by automating and optimizing solutions that once required extensive manual iteration. Engineers define parameters—materials, loads, manufacturing methods and performance targets—and advanced algorithms rapidly evaluate thousands of design permutations. The result uncovers optimal, innovative and often unexpected solutions delivered in a fraction of the time.
Traditional design is often limited by tight timelines and budgets, restricting exploration to a narrow set of options. Generative design removes this constraint by rapidly generating and evaluating countless alternatives, accelerating development and enabling breakthroughs well beyond even the most efficient manual methods.
With these advantages, generative design is gaining traction and is poised to become a staple of product development. According to KBV Research, the Global Generative Design Market size is expected to reach $938.9 million by 2031, rising at a market growth of 19.8% CAGR during the forecast period. As AI continues to evolve, particularly in synthesizing simulation data, physical testing results and real-world usage insights, generative design is moving from a niche tool to a core capability in digital product development.
Read this article in Machine Design Magazine.
Shop Success
There’s a new player in the manufacturing software industry, but its roots run deep. Opening its doors earlier this year, NestSoft is focused on delivering advanced, flexible and easy-to-use solutions for North American fabricators. The company’s mission is clear: Help shops streamline operations, cut waste and stay competitive in a market where costs are rising, labor is scarce and customers expect faster turnaround more than ever.
While the name may be new, its leadership is anything but. CEO Joe Keblesh has more than 35 years of experience in fabrication, manufacturing software and industry automation.
I recently spoke with Joe to discuss what sets the company apart, challenges facing the industry and how smaller fabricators can thrive in today’s increasingly complex and competitive production environment.
Read the Fab Shop Magazine story here.
Small Job Shop Success
There’s a new player in the manufacturing software industry, but its roots run deep. Opening its doors earlier this year, NestSoft is focused on delivering advanced, flexible and easy-to-use solutions for North American fabricators. The company’s mission is clear: Help shops streamline operations, cut waste and stay competitive in a market where costs are rising, labor is scarce and customers expect faster turnaround more than ever.
While the name may be new, its leadership is anything but. CEO Joe Keblesh has more than 35 years of experience in fabrication, manufacturing software and industry automation.
I recently spoke with Joe to discuss what sets the company apart, challenges facing the industry and how smaller fabricators can thrive in today’s increasingly complex and competitive production environment.
Read the interview here.
Zero Prototype Testing?
The manufacturing industry has moved towards zero physical prototype testing. The consequential shift towards increased digital testing represents a historic turning point in the simulation world. This transition highlights a critical need to embrace and implement new classes of tools to support the management and sharing of simulation results data. Foremost among these tools are Simulation Process and Data Management (SPDM) and Rapid Results Review (RRR).
SPDM is a structured approach to managing simulation workflows and data across their lifecycle. It ensures organized storage, version control, traceability, and data integrity while streamlining retrieval and collaboration.
By centralizing simulation data and automating processes, SPDM boosts productivity, reduces errors, and accelerates decision-making in engineering and research. Increasingly vital in modern product development, SPDM helps companies shorten development cycles, improve quality, and lower costs, delivering measurable, sustainable gains in innovation and competitiveness.
Read the entire article in Design News here.
Driving Sustainability Metrics into the RFP Process
Since the rise of industrialization more than 200 years ago, manufacturing has never been more closely scrutinized or more tightly regulated. Senior management is searching to become lean and more productive. Investors are looking for a greater return on investment, and consumers want quality and innovation at a comfortable price point. And, as if achieving these goals wasn’t difficult enough, all of this must be achieved with a watchful eye on sustainability.
This article from Deloitte Insights highlights the evolving global landscape of sustainability regulations. As stakeholders increasingly demand transparency and accountability regarding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, regulatory bodies are responding with new frameworks and requirements. Key trends include a focus on climate risk disclosure, supply chain sustainability, and the integration of ESG factors into corporate governance with failure to comply resulting in financial risks.
Read more here.