Joining Metal Parts with Fasteners

When designing sheet metal enclosures and products, engineers must decide how the components will be joined. Hardware insertion is a common method, allowing engineers to cleanly add fasteners to sheet metal parts. Fasteners are used across industries, including consumer electronics, data and telecom, medical equipment, and automotive electronics.

You may have heard them called PEM® fasteners; however, PEM is a brand name and registered trademark for specific fasteners manufactured by PennEngineering. In addition to PEM, several other companies manufacture fasteners. The choice of fastener will depend on your application. Some fasteners include:

• Nuts, which...

Understanding MIG and TIG Welding

A common joining method for sheet metal fabrication is welding. A skillfully welded seam results in a robust and durable product. Choosing the correct welding method is a critical decision your fabricator makes to ensure they meet your product specifications. Two common types of arc welding techniques are MIG welding and TIG welding. While they can achieve comparable results, each has unique attributes that make them suitable for specific uses.

MIG Welding

Metal inert gas (MIG) welding, also known as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), has an older origin than TIG. Said to have been invented in the 19^th-century alongside the discovery of the electric arc, it wasn&rsq...

Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication in the Food Equipment Industry

Sheet metal plays a vital role in food handling and processing. The industry requires dependable equipment that can stand up to its fast-paced, continuous-use demands. Sheet metal components and housings must be of high quality to perform as intended.

Many food equipment applications require sheet metal, including hoods, countertops and tables, coolers, equipment housings, commercial cooler components, specialty brackets and racks, and more. When it comes to food processing, cleanliness and the ability to sterilize the surfaces are critical. The FDA requires that materials coming into contact with food must not allow the migratio...

How Tusco’s Automated Powder Coating Booth Can Save You Money

Are you looking to save money and protect your next sheet metal project? Powder coating may be the answer. Unlike paint, powder coating won’t chip, fade, or peel and provides a long-lasting, durable finish that will protect your sheet metal from corrosion and other damage. In addition, powder coating is more environmentally friendly than conventional paint, so it is a good choice for those looking to save money and help the environment. You see even greater benefits when your sheet metal fabricator has in-house capabilities.

Automated Powder Coating Increases Efficiency and Lowers Costs

Tusco Manufacturing offers in-house...

Robotic Welding Increases Repeatability and Throughput

As if the past two years didn’t bring enough trouble – a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, record inflation, soaring gas prices – we are also facing a welder shortage. While many industries are struggling to find and keep good talent, there is a critical need for welders. It is estimated that the industry is expected to need more than 336,000 welders by 2026, due in part to an aging workforce and industry growth. Like many companies, we are supplementing our skilled welders with robotic welding.

With robotic welding, the welding process is automated with the help of a programmable robotic arm. An engineer cre...

Ways to the Future: Battery Enclosures

Tightened emission regulations, tax credits, and a governmental push has thrust electric vehicles (EV) into the limelight, resulting in OEMs introducing exciting new models, and consumers are taking notice. In the first quarter of 2022, EV registrations soared by 60 percent, and the overall market share hit a record 4.6 percent.

EVs are Nothing New

Although there has been a recent push for EVs, they have a fascinating history, first appearing well before internal combustion engine vehicles. The first prototype car with a rechargeable battery was introduced in about 1884. A decade later, an EV created quite the sensation at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. The ...

The Importance of Product Design and Prototyping

Taking a sheet metal component or product from concept to production can be an involved process. Understanding engineering principles for sheet metal fabrication becomes imperative. Sheet metal itself adds to the complexity since it can be made from various metals (stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, etc.) and comes in a range of thicknesses, each with their own challenges. The best way to validate a product’s design is to create a product prototype that can be used or tested in your application.

Understanding Your Product

Before you begin the product design, there are questions about the product that must be answered about its purpos...

Why You Should Partner With An ISO Certified Manufacturer

If you gave several contract metal manufacturers the same print with the exact specifications and asked them to create those parts, you would have some manufacturers that consistently produce high-quality parts, some that do part of the time, and others that don't hit the mark at all. The variance will likely reflect the differences in each contract manufacturer's quality system.

Producing high-quality parts isn't cheap and it isn't easy. Companies willing to invest time and resources into their quality system will produce better products. Companies with ISO 9001 certification have demonstrated their commitment to investing in quality.

W...

A Robust Quality Management System - Meets our customers' needs and reduces costs

Quality Policy – Tusco commits to continuously improve how we understand and meet expectations for our associates, clients, communities, government & regulatory agencies, shareholders, and vendors.

At Tusco, we believe that quality is crucial for our success and yours. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer, we strive to deliver on time, on spec, and on budget. Quality assurance and its subset quality control are the foundational components of our robust quality management system that allows us to meet expectations while reducing costs.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance prevents non-conforming products ...

Our Unique Solution Keeps Manufacturing Humming

While other companies struggle with finding employees, we found a solution that is a win for everyone involved – including our customers.

Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy. But the challenge to find workers is putting additional strain on our economic infrastructure and adding to the country’s supply chain woes. Finding employees interested in manufacturing was a challenge pre-pandemic; Covid-19 has further exacerbated the gap. The solution for Tusco Manufacturing involves getting creative to plant a spark in an unlikely resource.

The lockdown in 2020 gave people time to reflect on what was important to them, and once busine...