Manufacturing Today - Summer 2010 - (Page 108)
Fourslide Spring and Stamping Inc.
www.fourslide.com / HQ: Bristol, Conn. / 2009 revenues: $6 million / Employees: 25 / Products: Formed metal parts / Jim Richards, director of sales and marketing: “We’ve chosen a small discipline and dedicated ourselves to it, and believe that we’re the best at it.”
Having Four-sight
fourslide says its unique process is best suited for the changes in the manufacturing industry. by chris petersen
fourslide’s process allows it to make small, complex metal pieces quickly.
Director of Sales and Marketing Jim Richards says Fourslide Spring and Stamping Inc. doesn’t try to be a “jack of all trades.” But when the company utilizes a process as flexible and cost-effective as the “fourslide” technique, it doesn’t need to be. Even though the company concentrates on this one process, it has been able to carve a niche for itself in the Northeast contract manufacturing market. “We’ve chosen a small discipline and dedicated ourselves to it, and believe that we’re the best at it,” Richards says. The fourslide process involves using machines with a progressive die 108
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and four tool sides that stamp and form metal in sequence. For example, the fabrication of a small but complex metal clip is accomplished by first feeding strip metal through a progressive die that stamps the basic shape out of the metal. This is then fed as a strip to the center form, which is surrounded by the four slides. After cutoff from the strip, the part is formed around the center form by multiple strikes from the toolslides, then ejected into the parts catcher. Among the parts that can be fabricated using this process are flat springs, metal clips, contacts, connectors and terminals.
This process can create complicated forms faster and more efficiently than other forms of manufacturing. Richards says this makes Fourslide Spring and Stamping a viable alternative for clients looking for smaller lot sizes than are typical for the industry. “We do take on challenges that other companies won’t,” he says. “The very nature of our process is we’re more agile and less expensive on the front end, and I think that puts us in a good competitive position.”
Small But Strong
Along with the benefits provided by the fourslide process, Richards says
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Manufacturing Today - Summer 2010
Manufacturing Today - Summer 2010
Contents
Washington
Global Strategies
Continuous Improvement
Smart Pricing
Supply Chain
Business Value
Moving Forward
Westmark Products
Byrne Dairy
Ultrafryer Systems Inc.
Wil-Rich LLC & Wishek MFG LLC
American Precision Fabricators
Aqua Products Inc.
Bennington
Black Diamond Equipment
Columbian Home Products
Control Devices LLC
Endustra Filter Manufacturers Inc
Heil Trailer International
Assembled Products
Order-Matic Corp.
Professional Building Systems Inc.
Smart Start Inc
Bosal International
Ausco Products Inc.
Brodart Company
Cambrex Corp.
Chapin International Inc.
Cleveland Gear Co.
Consolidated Precision Products
Control Flow Inc.
Douglas Autotech Corp.
Fetzer Architectural Products
The FNA Group
Fourslide Spring and Stamping Inc.
G.A. West & Company
Great Lakes Power Group
Grimm Brothers Plastics
Legends Furniture Inc.
National Tube Supply Co.
Optex Systems Inc.
Sunburst Electronics
V.E. Enterprises Inc
W. Soule & Company
Manufacturing Tomorrow
Manufacturing Today - Summer 2010
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