Hi everyone, no idea why I didn't join this forum years ago but I'm here now. Based in Visalia, CA I'm the Director of Operations/Engineering at a company founded in 1946 where we manufacture automotive sway bars and leaf springs and have worked here almost 10 years. I'm more office duties these days but have plenty of hands on experience (and blisters) over my years here.
We buy mostly 5160 flats or 4140 rounds from Chicago and do everything in house until we box/palletize the finished product and ship it out the door so cut, shear, plasma cut, cold bend, forge, hot form, heat treat, shot blast, weld, powdercoat, etc. Some newer CNC equipment, induction furnaces, etc but also tons of old school gas furnaces and presses (including an old low bed press that was originally belt drive off a steam engine which will probably outlast me). We also build all our tooling/dies in house along with a lot of our presses/machines. So hopefully I can share some knowledge, chime in and also ask some of my constant stream of questions that come up whether on equipment or new processes.
Don't want to come across as advertising, but I can post more of what we do, pics of equipment, etc if anyone's interested.