Year: 2011

No snowplows in Ghana

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Metal goods at Obuasi market, Ghana

“Metal fabrication” and for that matter, the metal manufacturing industry, seem to have very different meanings and specializations, depending what part of the world you are in. A few days ago I was in London, admiring a fleet of brand-new snowplows, which stood brightly at attention, gleaming and winking in the autumn sun at the Heathrow airport. I remember thinking to myself, whoever got that contract is doing all right.

Now I am in Ghana, Africa, and I haven’t seen a single snowplow anywhere. It appears that the large metal machinery here is found mainly in the forests and other mining areas, and that bulldozers are much preferred over snowplows around these parts. But even here, those large machines don’t come cheap, and renting them alone costs around $2500 a day. Again, whoever has THAT contract is doing all right too.

To most Ghanaians, however, for whom a car is out of reach, heavy industrial equipment doesn’t seem to figure much into their daily lives. Instead, their idea of “fabricated metal” consists of rudimentary yet versatile tools that can be (and are) made by local blacksmiths using age-old –and time-honored– technology.

I went to the local market today to shop for a few items, and I found a section of the market that is in fact dedicated solely to manufactured metal goods. Among the things for sale were machetes (that’s Ghanaian for “lawnmower”, “coconut opener”, “nail trimmer” and goodness knows what else), shovels (aka “bulldozers”), knives, blades of all sizes and shiny black chunks of bitumen. I asked what this was used for and it was explained to me that it is melted and used to repair holes in buckets and things of that nature. Bitumen has been in use by humans for a very long time. It was also used by ancient Egyptians in the mummification process.

I’ve noticed that in general, the local technology here is geared primarily towards avoiding a dependency on electricity or fuel, which can be hard to come by in many areas. That’s why the women at the market use a bed of coals to heat their palm oil for the fried plantains they serve up fresh daily. That’s why the local “contract maker” uses a mechanical typewriter and carbon paper to draw up legally binding agreements. And that’s why everyone owns a machete but no one, not even the most affluent, seems to own a lawnmower.

That said, imagine how amazing it would be if they could get their hands on a C. Marshall Fabrication Plasma Burning Machine! I just might be able to talk one of the local blacksmiths into buying one…as long as it comes with a really, really long cord.

– Anja Wulf

Introducing MG

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MG was established in Italy, the city of Fossano (CN) in 1959 with its main specialisation in manufacturing of industrial automation.

In 1981 MG began the construction of plate bending machines and two years later concentrated its efforts and investments towards a quality production in the field of hydraulic plate bending machines; the original 5,382 sqf  of covered plant surface was extended to the present 107,639 sqf.

Today MG is able to answer to almost any kind of demand on plate bending machines manufacturing, and is in condition to propose a large range of models with useful plate length from 20” mm to 28’ and bending thickness capacity from .040” up to 10-1/4”.

The bending machines model MG and MH are the result of a continuous research and innovation in the product engineering and manufacturing, making use of components of the latest technology and innovative solutions. These models are designed and manufactured to obtain a bending capacity equal to 3 times the upper roll diameter with steel plates yield of 36,000.

MG gives customers real advantages on every large and small industrial application of boilers and heat exchangers; tanks and containers for alimentary sectors, agriculture and buildings; tank-trucks for oils and foods, road and heavy transportation; turbines and reactors; off-shore and land windmill towers; light and heavy steel structural works, excavator buckets and any other application in the field of automotive, naval, railway and aero-spatial. Every one of these sectors is carefully studied by our staff in order to give our clients the best machine, system or service.

MG machines are built to follow each customer’s specific bending requirements, expressly studied and projected for the task the customer needs to perform. We do not mass-produce and we don’t send out quotations just to get rid of stock.  We want to know what the customer’s activity is, what he produces, and listen to what he would like to have in the future and then offer the best machine that can fit his demands.

MH314C Plate Roll

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Technical data

Installed power:                             10 HP
Top roll diameter:                          11.4”
Lower roll diameter:                       10.3”
Side rolls diameter:                         8.3”

Capacity

Working length:                          122”
Max. rolling thickness:                 9/16”
Max. pre-bend thickness:            1/2”

The max performances are referred to shells of diameter equal or larger than 3 times the top roll diameter and with material with a yield point 38,000 PSI.

MH314C 4-roll to be shown at Fabtech 2011

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MH314C 4-roll to be shown at Fabtech 2011

We are excited about exhibiting at Fabtech in Chicago, November 14-17, 2011 and hope that you will stop by at our booth #2763 to learn more about us and our products.Come talk to our knowledgeable and friendly sales personnel. Ask questions. Pick up brochures. Get ideas. This year we have a MG made MH314C 4-roll plate bending machine on the floor. Come and take a look.

This is the ultimate evolution in the plate bending field with two dragging rolls with hydraulic pinching allowing a steady and precise material dragging. This plate bending machine is the easiest, most versatile, quickest and precise the market can offer. It comes with a Touch Command Control.

Technical data

Installed power:                            10 HP
Top roll diameter:                         11.4”
Lower roll diameter:                     10.3”
Side rolls diameter:                       8.3”

Capacity

Working length:                           122”
Max. rolling thickness:                  9/16”
Max. pre-bend thickness:            1/2”

The max performances are referred to shells of diameter equal or larger than 3 times the top roll diameter and with material with a yield point 38,000 PSI.

Back in the day…

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Snowflake-shaped Christmas decoration: fun for the whole family!

When I hear someone say “metal manufacturing”, my ears perk right up. When you’re not actually in that industry, it isn’t very often that you hear the term used in casual conversation. And when one of your jobs is to write an article related to the subject once a week, your response to hearing that magical phrase becomes almost Pavlovian.

These words were indeed uttered in casual conversation this last Friday night, at a friend’s house in the hills on the French side of St. Martin, with lovely views of the Caribbean from the veranda we were having dinner on. Our company consisted of a “typical” St. Martin mix, including but not limited to dinner guests from the Bahamas, the US, England, Holland, Canada and France. The newest addition to our dinner party hailed from Manchester, England. With his accent, just about anything he said sounded funny regardless of its actual content, but to top it off he was a genuinely amusing character: so typically “Manchester” that he could have been a mascot for his city.

In any case, he started telling us about his metal manufacturing class that he had taken back in high school. Apparently, in England, metal manufacturing shop is a pretty typical high school elective. It was particularly popular in his school, mainly because someone in his class had the bright idea of using the metal workshop and tools to make Japanese throwing stars. This idea then spread like wildfire through the class.

From what I am given to understand, Manchester locals are a pretty tough crowd to begin with. They are world-famous for their soccer (“football”) and rugby skills, owing not so much to their refined technique but more to their raw aggression, their love of a good fight (and good beer), and the fact that they consider cauliflower ears a fashion statement. So really it should come as no big surprise that a bunch of high school students from Manchester started dedicating themselves very enthusiastically to mass-producing deadly samurai weapons in their metal manufacturing class.

Our friend described with genuine glee and amusement how, within a few weeks, his high school was littered with evidence of their turf wars. He talked about Japanese throwing stars stuck in walls, ceilings, furniture and even heads. What he never even thought to mention was “where were the teachers?” Apparently, this is considered perfectly acceptable behavior where he’s from. And the kid with the Japanese throwing star stuck in his temple probably wore it with pride.

The upside of this anecdote is that, 40 or so years later, this guy is still talking enthusiastically about metal manufacturing. It made an impression on him (maybe literally, although I didn’t see any visible scars) that led to a life-long love of the subject. Let’s be perfectly clear: I’m not “recommending” or “suggesting” that children of tender school-age years in the US should be encouraged to use their own metal shop class as an armory: I am merely relaying a story here.

With that said, the holiday season is coming up. Wouldn’t it be lovely to teach kids metal manufacturing skills by having them make pretty metal snowflakes as Christmas decorations? And if they happen to also lend themselves to a frisbee-type motion, well then that would just be a coincidence, right? What’s important here is that it would probably genuinely increase the popularity and renown of metal manufacturing in the long run. Sort of an “end justifies the means” kind of thing. Right? Right?

And just for the record, the guy from Manchester didn’t grow up to be some sort of deviant. He had enjoyed a successful career as a captain in the Merchant Marines, and he is also CEO of his own company.

I’m not really clear on what happened to the kid with the Japanese throwing star stuck in his temple.

-Anja Wulf

African Gold

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Illegal gold miners in Africa

Last week I told you about the shipwreck that they’ve discovered just a short walk from where I live. Although I don’t have too many complaints about staying on a beach on a Caribbean island, this is about to change. Africa, here I come.

My husband is already in Africa. He’s actually working on establishing a gold mine there. No one seems to believe this when I tell them, but that’s OK since the last thing I want to do is invite more competition. The place where he is has a lot of illegal mining activity. He went into the jungle recently and took some pictures of the miners.

Their current rate of progress is pretty dire: they work extremely hard to extract a pretty measly amount of gold per day (although in their country’s economy, it’s probably well worth the effort). However, their technology is so primitive that their most advanced (and pretty much only) piece of equipment is a shovel.

What they do is this: they go into the jungle and start digging. They dig holes into the ground as deep as 3 meters. While one person digs, the other person starts filtering the mud using water and basically a blanket. That’s pretty much all there is to it. It’s the same technique that the ancient Egyptians and other civilizations from thousands of years ago used. In fact, it’s the same technique that gave rise to the “Golden Fleece” of ancient legend.

They don’t cover up the holes once they’ve dug them. Then the rains come, and what looks like a puddle on the surface is actually a 9 foot-deep hole. It can literally be fatal to take a walk through the jungle for this reason.

The tribal chief, who owns the land, is not happy that the illegal miners are taking gold off his land without giving him a cut. This is why he is only too happy to welcome a few Westerners into his neighborhood who are willing to give him a percentage of what they extract from his land. This said, it’s not uncommon to have 3 different people approach you to inform you that they are the tribal chief and in charge of the land. In any case, it is also important to maintain extremely friendly relations with the illegal miners so that your high-tech equipment (and by “high tech”, I mean anything more advanced than a shovel) doesn’t “accidentally” break overnight when it is left on the premises.

It’s not quite as structured or regulated as doing business in the US, and it’s a tad more risky than working at a 7-11, but then again, it’s also a bit more interesting. For example, I just found out yesterday that in the particular area where my husband is doing business, there is no such thing as a legitimate business transaction if the mother of the businessman is not in attendance. In other words, if you think you just struck a deal with one of the locals, if his mom was not physically present in the room, it was an illegal transaction.

In the meantime, however, I’m still holding out for the (albeit remote) possibility of finding a gold bar right here where I am, in one of the most beautiful places in the world, washed up on my beach from the shipwreck. Wouldn’t that just be peachy.

Buried Treasure (really)!

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I live on a beautiful beach on an island in the Caribbean. It’s not always easy, but someone’s gotta do it. And yes, this is an actual recent photo that I personally took.

When a beach is your front yard, you get pretty familiar with the comings and goings of the boats in your neighborhood. In recent weeks, a new boat has been showing up about 100 meters out from the beach and about a 7 minute walk from my house. The boat says “Research Vessel” on it. Yesterday I found out why:

This boat has discovered a 200 year-old shipwreck which it is preparing to explore. This island is notorious for stupid political tangles, and when it comes to things like approving someone’s petition to explore an old wreck, things can get tied up for a bit since everyone wants a piece of the potential loot. Especially when it’s a known fact that this was a merchant ship which came here by way of Brazil. Back then, one of Brazil’s biggest industries and exports was its melting and casting of iron and metals, including silver and gold. Another treasure this shipwreck is rumored to possibly have is antique porcelain, which in addition to being very valuable is also extraordinarily beautiful.

So while the research vessel continues to vie for government approval to start the exploration of the shipwreck, a few of us beach dwellers are already plotting how we might take advantage of this unique situation. The fact that we know exactly where the wreck is admittedly presents a few temptations. One of the neighbors, who lives on the cliff above the location of the shipwreck, has already posted a sentry with binoculars so that he can track exactly when excavations begin, at which point he fully intends to go on an exploratory dive of his own under cover of night, to see what he can find.

As for the rest of us, there will most likely be a significant increase in foot traffic on the beach. I predict that most of us will increase our daily exercise regimen with the addition of several daily casual strolls along the beach, in hopes that we might stub our toe on a gold or silver bar just happened to have washed up from the excavation. I also plan on increasing my snorkeling activities dramatically. After all, one can hope and dream, and people who live on beaches in the Caribbean are already, for the most part, hopeless romantics (the rest are just good old-fashioned pirates).

I did a quick online search on buried treasure and found a link on “12 Real Life Buried Treasures”. Some of these treasures go back to the 1500’s and are worth many billions of dollars! So it can happen, folks. If it happens to me, I probably won’t tell you though.

-Anja Wulf