Nuts & Bolts, FMA team up to promote "tinkering"
A new entity dedicated to inspiring America's youth to consider careers in manufacturing has been created through the partnership of two leading foundations.
Founded by actor, director and producer John Ratzenberger (of Cheers fame), the Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Foundation(NBTF) is teaming up with the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) to create a joint entity that will provide resources to encourage students to pursue manufacturing careers.
The new charitable organization will be called Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (NBT), and will be based in the FMA's headquarters city of Rockford, Illinois.
The partnership will allow NBT to increase its charitable activities, which include providing grants to educational institutions offering manufacturing camps and awarding scholarships to students pursuing careers in manufacturing. In short, the primary mission of NBT, according to the foundation's website is "to nurture the tinkering spirit."
"We must encourage kids when they graduate from high school to consider manufacturing as a career," Ratzenberger told press. "Part of the problem is the media and Hollywood often portray manufacturing and anyone who works with their hands in a poor light. But the industrial arts have always taken precedence over the fine arts ... remember, someone had to build the ceiling before Michelangelo could go to work."
For more information on NBT, visit www.NutsAndBoltsFoundation.org.
Utah steel company finds creative way to keep workers busy
Despite the slumping economy, one US steel company has found an interesting way to occupy its workers.
Salt Lake City, Utah-based structural steel fabricator Legacy Steel saw a severe downturn in business along with the economy, with many of its big construction projects being suspended. In fact, the company had to lay off several of its 36 employees as a result of the downturn.
In December, CEO Randy Gingras had to make a choice: lay off more welders or pay them to build some ornamental palm trees. That's right: palm trees. Gingras lives in Hawaii and has been commuting to Utah since he took over the family business in 2005. In addition to his affinity for the 50th state, Gingras cares deeply about his employees and did not want to let any more of them go. So the choice was clear.
Since then, the company's two dozen remaining welders have been busy using scrap metal to construct a Hawaiian beach scene at the shop - all made out of steel. And busy they have certainly been. The trunk of one palm tree alone is made from 980 separately welded plates. Gringas told press that he knows it's not a permanent fix, but he hopes that by the time this metallic tropical paradise is finished, the company's other projects will be back up and running.
For the full story, visit www.legacysteel.net and click on "Legacy Steel News."
Fort Worth using steel to create "Avenue of Light"
Even in a tough economy such as this one, there will always be demand for art. One example of this is the continued demand for public artworks to beautify cityscapes, and such projects often require steel as a main component.
Workers have begun installing six art-deco inspired stainless-steel towers this week in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of the "Avenue of Light " project commissioned by Fort Worth Public Art. The sculptures are being installed in the southern downtown street of Lancaster Avenue.
The 35-foot towers were designed by artist Cliff Garten and will be illuminated when installation is complete. Each is composed of 100 layered stainless steel plates, each offset from the other by 3.5 inches.
These unique steel sculptures create a vanishing edge when seen from certain perspectives. "At eye level, portions of the sculptures appear almost transparent", says Garten. Varying in size, each plate is progressively turned slightly to create an undulating shape.
City planners hope that these sculptures along with other planed public art installations will serve as a catalyst for further economic development in the area. Over the next six to 12 months, a variety of artworks, ranging from metal sculptures to fountains will be added to enhance the aesthetics Fort Worth's landscape, from downtown to outlying communities.
To see pictures of the Avenue of Light project and learn more about other Fort Worth public art projects, visit http://www.fwpublicart.org/.
Alabama legislation approved to prevent steel coil spills
In an effort to address what has become a widespread problem of steel coil "fall-offs", an Alabama House panel has approved a bill that will regulate the transportation of steel coils over state highways.
The push for steel coil legislation has intensified after several incidents involving improperly secured steel coils falling off of big rigs on Birmingham, Alabama area interstates which have taken place in recent years. Damage from the coil spills has averaged $200,000 to $300,000 per repair, The Birmingham News reported.
The new bill, if passed into law, would inflict stiff penalties on trucking companies and drivers that do not properly tie coils on the back of trucks. The bill is considered one of the nation's toughest for coil haulers, imposing fines of up to $10,000 for violating companies and up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail for drivers that are at fault. The state's Department of Public Safety would also be required to develop and publish proper load securement training standards.
If the bill clears the state House, it would move on to the Alabama senate for further consideration.