Want to find out the latest in equipment while building relationships in the industry? Check out  these seven events this fall:

Guadalajara, Mexico, September 10-12, 2015
Expo Guadalajara
Latin America's biggest expo for hardware, electric, and construction. Register.

Los Angeles, September 15-17, 2015
WESTEC
Find out about latest technologies in areas from software to cutting tools from top international equipment manufacturers. Register.

Milan, Italy, October 5-10, 2015
EMO MILANO
Learn about cutting edge machine tools in metal working. Register.

Phoenix, October 11-14, 2015
GAWDA Annual Convention
Make connections at the Gases and Welding Distributors Association annual event. Register.

Las Vegas, October 21-13, 2015
National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo
A gathering of manufacturers and distributors of industrial fasteners, precision formed parts, and fastener machinery and tooling. Register.

Phoenix, November 8-10, 2015
STAFDA's Annual Convention
Meet distributors of specialty tools and fasteners. Register.

Chicago, November 9-12, 2015
FABTECH
North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event. Register.

When you want to produce metal parts, your goal is to think through as many aspects of your final part as possible. Here are 10 factors to consider when producing metal parts at high volume:

1. Strength: including tests the parts will have to physically pass
   
2. Environment temperature: heat treating or curing ovens
   
3. Material: thickness, finish, plating, color, and hardness
   
4. Geometry: dimensions, tolerances, measurement methods, critical dimensions, stamping manufacturing burrs, and required and suggested testing
   
5. Assembly: threads, welding, brazing, swaging, and riveting
   
6. Testing: flatness, radial runout, torque, pushout force, and prototyping
   
7. Markings: font style, size, and depth, logos, and marking method
   
8. Special features: stiffening ribs, serrations, and gorilla tabs to prevent rotation
   
9. Packing: weight limits, labeling, and cartons, drums, and skids
   
10. Inspection: first article and during our production run

Before you have your tooling created, you'll want to consider these 10 factors when working with an engineer to develop your final metal stamping.

Want to know what to expect when you scale up? Here are three simple steps we'll walk you through to get your metal parts from idea to mass production:

PHASE 1: Develop Drawings & Specifications

• Bring in your prototype, sketches, or ideas. Talk with our engineer to understand the fastest and most cost-effective means of producing your metal parts. You’ll discuss how your product will look and function and how you’ll use metal stampings in your product, including:
  
• Strength: including tests the parts will have to physically pass
  
• Environment temperature: heat treating or curing ovens
  
• Material: thickness, finish, plating, color, and hardness
  
• Geometry: dimensions, tolerances, measurement methods, critical dimensions, stamping manufacturing burrs, and required and suggested testing
  
• Assembly: threads, welding, brazing, swaging, and riveting
  
• Testing: flatness, radial runout, torque, pushout force, and prototyping
  
• Markings: font style, size, and depth, logos, and marking method
  
• Special features: stiffening ribs, serrations, and gorilla tabs to prevent rotation
  
• Packing: weight limits, labeling, and cartons, drums, and skids
  
• Inspection: first article and during our production run
  
• Review your part drawings. Before you know it, we’ll finish a drawing of your part.
  
• Make changes. We’ll work with you to tweak the drawing so you’ll have functional metal parts at the best price.
  
• Approve your part drawing. Once we get the drawing to meet your needs, you’ll approve the drawing, and we’ll get started on the tooling.
  

PHASE 2: Create Tooling & Samples
Test samples. We’ll send you samples to test in your manufacturing process to make sure parts are exactly to print after our toolmakers finish creating a tool to stamp your metal pieces.

PHASE 3: Bring Your Product To Market
Plate your parts. You may choose to plate in cadmium, chrome, copper, nickel, or zinc or anodizing on aluminum for an attractive, colorful finish.
Meet customer demand. We’ll put the finishing touches on our process, creating inspection sheets and gauges to give you the best quality parts, and ship your parts on time and at lower freight costs than overseas – so you can concentrate on making your customers happy.

When purchasing grinding wheel components, you can save money in several ways:

1. Forecast your manufacturing. The more you buy, the more you save. To get a reduced, high volume price, you can either:
   - Buy in high volume.
   - Use a blanket order, with which you receive parts over time with a fixed price.
   - Consign, in which you receive your parts at once with a fixed price but only pay for them as you use them with an agreed upon end date - saving you on parts and shipping. 
2. Contact your freight company. Ask your freight company how you can save money on shipping. If you also purchase your resin from IPAC or your grit from Washington Mill, your freight company may reduce your shipping costs when you combine your shipping.