As he was interviewing for his current position as business unit leader of AT&F Wisconsin about two years ago, a man noticed a small saying at the bottom of a job description he was perusing: “The company is in its fourth generation of family leadership. While the values of the organization are similar to those found in family-run firms, the company is sophisticated and professional without being pretentious.”
AT&F is an industry leader in welding capabilities, with in-house robotic welding, and a Weld Institute that teaches students the fundamentals of welding—as well as advanced techniques—courtesy of our highly skilled welding engineers. Our Weld Institute, formed in (2015), is currently undergoing repositioning and expansion to accommodate larger classes and cover more welding types.
Welding, like any job in a fabricating facility, comes with risks. Some risks are inherent to the craft, and some are factors of the environment, but all risks can be assessed and mitigated, if not completely eliminated, by following procedures. Safety has been a pillar for AT&F since our creation in 1940. The priorities that drive our business are “Safety, Quality, and Productivity,” in that order, and welding is no exception. Our in-house Weld Institute starts every course with an overview of safety to set the standard as soon as our welders begin learning. With 90% of all injuries in the workplace occurring due to operator error, preventing accidents like these begins with proper procedures.
AT&F is pleased to announce recent upgrades to our Wisconsin facility, including a brand new plasma and oxy-fuel cutting table with a 5-axis beveling head, and improvements to a large capacity boring bar. In addition to the equipment upgrades, AT&F Wisconsin is pleased to announce the addition of a Certified Weld Inspector (CWI) to further enhance the welding quality and provide a valuable resource for proper procedures and training. These upgrades are part of AT&F’s continuous improvement initiative and bolster the Wisconsin facility’s capabilities for a competitive market.
For millennia, metals have been manipulated to man’s wants and needs. But from primitive hammers and anvils to high-tech robotic lasers, man’s methods of manipulation have changed and evolved drastically over time. The impact of advancements in welding has built skyscrapers, automobiles, and even nuclear reactors, but the genesis of welding looked nothing like the advanced technology we have at our disposal today. Paving the way for modern structures and safer machines, welding plays a crucial role in our daily lives.
Welding is a ubiquitous method of metalworking that joins two pieces of metal together to form a strong bond. But what exactly happens when the two metals join together? By definition, welding joins two pieces of metal by fusion. In order to properly fuse together, the base metal must melt and flow together. Older welding methods would employ an oxyfuel blowtorch to heat pieces of metal until the base metals reached melting temperature, but newer methods now use an electric arc to generate the heat necessary to melt the metal. The arc is created when an electric charge is passed from an electrode to the workpieces. The electrode is usually consumable and charged either negatively or positively depending on the desired character of the weld. A proper weld often creates a bond between workpieces that is stronger than the original strength of the workpieces themselves.
AT&F continues to push the limits of size, scope, and scale while retaining custom versatility in our manufacturing process. Coal mining relies on high-strength components and cable reels are no exception. This particular cable reel is exceptional due to its size and thickness. Hot rolled at 5 ½ inches thick and over 5 feet wide, this cable reel is among the biggest in the industry, designed for some of the most massive machines in production. A custom item, AT&F is the supplier of these parts and has handled these orders for years.
A few months ago we showcased our rolling and processing capabilities for heavy cylinders, and now we want to share our expert cutting capabilities. When it comes to providing the most value to customers under one roof, AT&F is second to none. With expert flame cutting, tight tolerances for rolling and forming, and unmatched welding capabilities, our commitment to customer success shines through in all aspects of our craft. Watch our most recent video showcasing our thick plate cutting abilities to see our expertise in action.
The first modern mobile cranes appeared in the 1830’s and were able to lift their own weight. Through design innovation and advancement in high strength steel, cranes today are able to lift 10 times their own weight. New innovations are the result of advanced manufacturing technology. Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) has been the standard process used in the welded crane boom industry for decades. Although submerged arc welding is a proven and time tested method for fabricating booms, it leaves room for improvement.
AT&F is big in the railcar industry. For train cars to maximize the load size, cars will be fitted with s-shaped plates that drop the load between the wheels. The depressed railcar transition pieces are made from 2 ½ inch A514 steel, a very strong grade of steel that is difficult to form. AT&F proved its ability to form the heavy pieces to tight tolerances and added value in keeping the job domestic. The strength of the part is maximized due to the properties of arches, which lends itself to bigger loads. These larger loads benefit from the depressed seating in that height is shaved off the load, allowing for heavy loaded trains to easily pass through tunnels. AT&F takes pride in pushing the limits of size and scale and delivering quality parts where other fabricators fall short.