Wiley Tiki Talk
Welcome one and all to Tiki Talk!
First of all, what’s with the name right? Well, Tiki Talk comes from our fun project where we used scrap metal to build our unique Tiki Bar. At our scrap metal Tiki Bar we’ve shared a few cold ones and exchanged some pretty good (and also some pretty bad) ideas. We figured it would be a great name for our virtual gathering place.
Tiki Talk is our blog, but more importantly we want it to be a place where we can address your questions, share your comments and let you know what is going on with our company. We want everyone to take part…customers, potential customers, experts and novices alike. We hope it will be a fun and friendly exchange.
Look, if we could hang and have a couple of beers and play a round of golf with everyone, we would do that. Believe me we would do that. For now, Tiki Talk is the place. Pull up a stool and join in.
US Manufacturing Facing Mild Recession? How to Prepare Your Business
News executives on cable business channels seem to be chatting about it endlessly. Even mainstream media is getting in on the talk. The discussion surrounds the state of the U.S. economy and recession. Are we heading into one? Are we already into it? Will it be severe...
Lightweight Comparison: Steel vs. Aluminum vs. GFRP
Maybe you've already thought about how weight affects motion, but what about static structures or fabrications? Weight can be important there too. Some point to consider are: Will the fabrication need transporting? Almost certainly yes, unless you're assembling it...
How Our 5 Day Quote Turnaround Time Improves Customer Responsiveness
Imagine you go to a nice new restaurant and after a few minutes, a server takes your order. Maybe it takes ten minutes to get your beverages. Then the server seems to disappear. A half-hour passes, and maybe even 45 minutes. At some point, you would either flag down...
Piece Pricing vs. Total Value Add When Evaluating OEM Part Suppliers
When Wiley Metal started in business in 1982, we quickly found out how critical piece pricing was going to be in our ability to secure customers. Piece pricing has been used in the metal fabrication industry for generations prior to our family getting involved, and we...
Adhesive Bonding or Welding? The Answer May Surprise You
In fabrication the main way we create permanent joins is by welding. Welding has it's drawbacks though, some of which we've discussed here. Thin materials, dissimilar materials, aluminum, even stainless can present challenges. And then there's all the prep and...
Metal Fabrication: The Original Additive Manufacturing Technique
If it feels like you can't escape 3D printing at the moment, well you're probably right. Pick up a magazine, visit a website or turn on the TV and you'll see somebody talking about something they printed. The thing is, while 3D printing is relatively new, additive...
Heavy Metal Fabrication vs. Light Metal Fabrication
We're partial to a bit of heavy metal here at Wiley, but we don't mean the music. Walk through our shop and you might see the occasional Metallica or Iron Maiden tee-shirt, but when we say heavy metal we mean it in the fabrication sense. We've nothing against light...
How Strong is Extruded Aluminum?
As you may recall from some earlier Tiki Talk posts, we’re big fans of extruded aluminum. It’s strong for its weight, machines easily and can be extruded into an almost limitless variety of cross-sections. That makes it ideal for applications ranging from window...
Headed for a Slowdown or Poised for Growth? What Industry Analysts are Predicting for US Manufacturing
Read any two different trade magazines or newspapers or talk to any two people involved in industry and you will find that some believe we are headed for a US manufacturing slowdown, others will tell you we are poised for growth. For industry analysts, there is more...
Is There a Place in Metal Fabrication for Generative Design?
Remember Groundhog Day? Not the day in February but the movie starring Bill Murray. In it Murray plays a character forced to live the same day over and over. This gives him the opportunity to try different things until he hits on the magical combination of actions...
Metal Fabrication Cutting Tools: Saw vs. Angle Grinder
Is there anyone alive who hasn't used a saw? It's one of the simplest tools to use, (or so it appears at first glance.) Just place the teeth against what you want to cut and push it forward. Then draw it back and push it forward. Over and over. At this point perhaps...
6 FAQ’s about Cold Weather Welding
Despite our superhuman feats of fabrication, we're all mortals here at Wiley, and we've been shivering through what feels like a long winter. That got us wondering though, we know Superman’s Fortress of Solitude is somewhere in the Arctic: how does he handle the cold?...
