JOIN US AT FABTECH! FABTECH is where the metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing community comes together to see what's new and what's next. It's where connections are made and where deals get done. Where you can experience interactive exhibits, learn from expert-led education and network with peers. The complimentary expo pass in the link below gives you access to 1,700+ exhibits, hands-on product demonstrations, keynotes, special events, and more. Make plans today to attend and be part of the Industrial Evolution taking place. Experience the future of metal fabricating and more - only at FABTECH 2019. STOP BY B33077! Please join us at the 2019 FABTECH Welding Show in Chicago, IL November 11-14, 2019 Booth #B33077 Download your free pass here! SEE WHAT'S NEW! SuperFlash’s Super Shield Gas Mixer is a 2-gas adjustable gas mixer that allows users to mix their own gases at almost any ratio needed to fit their process
By Dave Marquard November, 2019 I had attended forty consecutive AWS Welding/Fabtech Shows until the streak was snapped a few weeks ago because of an important meeting elsewhere I had to attend. No one can physically be in two places at the same time, although today’s technology allows us to “beam up” our presence from afar via electronic robot cameras. It’s a technology my companies are investing heavily in because of the immense potential it has for allowing us to dramatically cut travel and expense costs. In my absence from physically being at Fabtech I thought a lot about what I missed most about it. I missed walking the aisles, meeting people and seeing the latest welding technologies a lot—but oddly enough I also missed the entertaining shows I often found while walking those aisles—especially the magicians hired by companies to attract people to their booths. Many magic tricks are based on illusions. The magician makes you think you saw something that didn’t happen. The hand is quicker than the eye, and artful magicians use distraction to their advantage in creating illusions that befuddle even the most observant individuals. My background and training as a cop probably makes me more observant than most. Even today, decades since I left policework, I still notice open doors, broken windows, people in industrial uniforms, anything that might seem out of place as I drive through neigh