When Matt Duval arrived at Fourslide fresh out of high school, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. Nearly forty years later, he couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. And Fourslide wouldn’t be the same without one of its longest-tenured employees. There was a job shortage in 1985, and Matt went to all the local machine shops looking for work. He spent countless hours with Erector Sets as a kid, so working with machines seemed like a natural fit. Matt jokes that the “ability to do heavy lifting” was one of the biggest strengths on his job application. Starting as a machine opera ..read more

Meet the newest member of our quality team! We purchased this Keyence IM-8000 Series Image Dimension Measurement System in February. It has immediately impacted our quality control and production processes, enhancing our ability to ensure that every part we deliver exceeds acceptable tolerances.  The predictive data provided by the IM-8000 allows us to identify trends that will help prevent the production of nonconforming parts. The system also alerts us when dimensions approach acceptable tolerances so that our production team can make adjustments before running parts. After our quality ..read more

If you’ve started a project with us recently, you probably spoke with Scott Macek, our new sales associate. Scott joined us in May and quickly proved an excellent fit at Fourslide. From evaluating new quotes to sourcing material and helping ensure that returning business runs as smoothly as it ever has, his versatile background in manufacturing and management has made him a significant asset to the team. Scott’s manufacturing experience began with a summer job running machines for a company that makes bonding and grounding hardware for utility companies. After college, he spent nine years lear ..read more

We are often asked to recommend a material for a customer’s flat spring, spring clip, battery contact, or other custom part. The standard response is that we do not make material recommendation, because the application requirements (e.g., spring force, conductivity, range of motion and corrosion resistance) are so critical to material selection. Our expertise lies in the manufacture of springs and stampings, not the design of the part for its intended function. Rather, we suggest the materials that are viable alternatives relative to the manufacturability of a part. Many part geometries can be ..read more

Here at Fourslide, we have long offered prototyping services for our customers. A very high percentage of the jobs we quote are for flat springs, contacts, clips, and other metal parts that have never been previously made, to be used in brand-new devices and products. We pride ourselves on helping customers make informed decisions about part design that save them both time and money. Prototyping is invaluable in determining whether or not our customers’ designs actually work for fit, form and function. When determining final feature geometry, complex parts like the one shown here benefit ..read more

We get this question every day as manufacturers struggle with ballooning lead times, expensive changes to tooling, and quality control for critical components. And the answer may surprise you!  Sophisticated high-volume parts that traditionally required complex tooling on a progressive power press can be an excellent fit for the fourslide manufacturing process. With its unique integration of stamping and forming operations, the fourslide process can dramatically reduce typical tooling costs, halve tooling lead times, and eliminate post-production adjustments needed to meet specifications ..read more

This fall marks our 60th year producing stamped and formed metal parts here in Bristol, Connecticut. Boy have we ever come a long way. A Family Business Deeply Rooted in Bristol Arthur Funk and a partner founded Fourslide Spring Products, Inc. on the 4th floor of Bristol’s historic J.H. Sessions building in 1962. Starting with a single customer and a single machine for fabricating parts, Fourslide has steadily grown into a $6 million operation employing 25 workers. Working alongside his wife Dorothy after buying out his partner, in 1968 Funk purchased a 4100-square-foot building 2 miles down t ..read more

All of us at Fourslide Spring and Stamping will miss Executive Vice President Jim Richards as he retires after 17 years at the company. Jim has been an integral part of Fourslide since the day he arrived in Bristol, armed with a wealth of knowledge and years of experience in manufacturing, machine building, and machine tool sales. With a keen skill in negotiation, Jim was instrumental in forging great relationships with many businesses that remain loyal customers. Under his guidance, core business sales rose an average of 5% per year, with sales of new tools increasing from 15 per year to more ..read more

All of us at Fourslide Spring and Stamping will miss Executive Vice President Jim Richards as he retires after 17 years at the company. Jim has been an integral part of Fourslide since the day he arrived in Bristol, armed with a wealth of knowledge and years of experience in manufacturing, machine building, and machine tool sales. With a keen skill in negotiation, Jim was instrumental in forging great relationships with many businesses that remain loyal customers. Under his guidance, core business sales rose an average of 5% per year, with sales of new tools increasing from 15 per year to more ..read more

Mark Ratta, the Working Leader on our production floor, joined Fourslide nearly 30 years ago as a member of the Shipping and Receiving Department. “I didn’t even know what a fourslide machine looked like when I got here,” offers Mark. Three decades later, he is a very accomplished set-up man and a highly effective Working Leader. Born and raised in Bristol, Mark attended Bristol Eastern High School, after which he had a series of jobs – none of which he found to be terribly rewarding. Good fortune, both his and ours, brought him to Fourslide. After two years of displaying competence and a stro ..read more