Formtek is proud to announce that Paul Williams, Vice President of Business Development, will once again take the stage as a featured presenter at the 2026 World-Class Roll Forming Workshop. This year's event carries special significance: the workshop is coming to Formtek's own doorstep.
Hosted by the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International (FMA), the 2026 World-Class Roll Forming Workshop will take place April 21 to 22 at the new Formtek, Inc. headquarters located in Twinsburg, Ohio. It marks the first time the long-running program has been hosted at a Formtek facility, and what better way to welcome the roll forming community than with twelve in-depth sessions, a guided tour of the new 117,000 square foot campus, and the always entertaining Roll Forming Jeopardy reception.
Paul Williams brings more than four decades of hands-on expertise spanning tool and die making, field service, die design, sales application engineering, and business development to every presentation he delivers, and the 2026 workshop will be no exception. Whether you work on the shop floor, in engineering, or in design and supervision, his sessions offer the kind of direct, experienced guidance that is hard to find anywhere else. Attendees can expect presentations that go beyond theory, offering practical guidance, real-world problem solving, and technical depth that professionals at every level can apply directly to their operations. Consistently among the most attended at the workshop, Paul's sessions are known for being technically deep while remaining accessible, covering the kinds of questions manufacturers are actually asking and the challenges they face every day.
At this year's event, Paul will cover two of the most critical auxiliary technologies in any roll forming operation: cutoff technology and in-line punching technology. With the workshop being held at Formtek's new Twinsburg headquarters for the first time, attendees will also have the unique opportunity to connect what they learn in the sessions with a firsthand look at the facility and the teams driving roll forming innovation every day.
In this session, Paul will walk attendees through the fundamentals and nuances of cutting sheet metal at specific points along a roll forming line. Because no two applications are exactly alike, the choice of cutoff method depends heavily on the location in the line and the cross-section being produced. Paul will cover slug-type cutoff dies, slugless crop cutoff dies, and combination cutoff dies, explaining when each is the right tool for the job. He will also review the range of press types used in roll forming operations including air, mechanical, and hydraulic presses and discuss the best use scenarios for each.
Paul's second session dives into the world of in-line punching, one of the most impactful ways manufacturers can add value and eliminate secondary operations from their roll forming lines. Attendees will review common punching operations including stationary flying pre-notch dies, rotary punching machines, and flying post-punching dies. Paul will also open the floor to real-world problem solving, inviting attendees to bring their line upgrade questions and existing punching challenges. Topics like achievable line speeds, tightening tolerances, and eliminating secondary operations will all be on the table.
The decision to host the 2026 workshop at Formtek's Twinsburg facility adds a unique dimension to this year's event. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the new headquarters firsthand, seeing the engineering, production, tooling, and office teams operating under one roof in a purpose-built facility designed to support the next generation of roll forming and tube mill manufacturing. It is a rare chance to connect technical learning with a real-world look at what modern metal forming infrastructure looks like in practice.
No World-Class Roll Forming Workshop would be complete without Roll Forming Jeopardy, and Paul Williams will once again serve as host for this crowd favorite. Developed by Paul himself, the game brings a competitive and entertaining edge to the workshop's networking reception, giving attendees a chance to put their roll forming knowledge to the test in a fun, high-energy setting. A full round of Jeopardy will be played with workshop speakers serving as judges to validate answers, and the audience is encouraged to get in on the action by throwing hints to players who need them. With bragging rights on the line and the added energy of being on Formtek's home turf for the first time, this year's game promises to be one for the books. Do not miss it.
Registration is open now. FMA members save $200 or more on the standard registration price of $895. To view the full schedule, confirm session times, and register, visit the official FMA event page.
We look forward to welcoming the roll forming community to Twinsburg this April.
The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International is a professional organization with more than 2,500 individual and company members dedicated to improving the metal processing, forming, and fabricating industry.
Paul Williams is Vice President of Business Development at Formtek and brings more than 40 years of experience in the tool and die and roll forming industries. Over the course of his career he has worked as a Toolmaker, Field Service Technician, Die Design Engineer, Sales Application Engineer, Product Line Manager, and Director of Sales before moving into his current role. Paul received his training from the Tooling and Manufacturing Association in tool and die making and engineering and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He has been with Hill Engineering since 1988 and has served as a speaker and conference chairman for FMA, PMA, and SME conferences. Paul has also authored several technical articles for leading industry publications. He served on the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Board of Directors as an Associate Director from 2013 to 2014 and is a current member and past chairman of FMA's Roll Forming Technology Council.
Formtek is a group of long-established metal forming equipment manufacturing companies providing innovative and reliable equipment to the metal forming and metal processing industries. The Formtek family of brands includes B&K, Dahlstrom, Hill Engineering, Lockformer Custom Machinery, Tishken, Winpro, and Yoder.