About FMI
Mission
Forge Mechanical Innovation exists to provide precise, fabrication‑ready steel component modeling and drafting services built for real‑world manufacturing environments.
FMI focuses exclusively on steel components and production‑ready documentation, ensuring every model and drawing supports how parts are actually fabricated, assembled, and inspected.
FMI is built on more than seven years of independent consulting experience and decades of hands‑on industry work.
Every project begins with clarity — whether through a consultation or the Start a Project form.
About the Founder
FMI was founded by Shawn Leech, a mechanical documentation specialist with decades of hands‑on fabrication and cross‑industry experience. His background in steel fabrication, industrial manufacturing, and production coordination shapes every deliverable FMI produces.
Built for Real Production Environments
Documentation is created with the mindset of someone who has worked directly with steel. Practical awareness, fabrication‑friendly detailing, and shop‑floor clarity guide every model and drawing.
Revision Discipline
All changes are documented with proper revision control to maintain traceability, clarity, and confidence throughout the fabrication process. Revision updates follow strict standards to ensure consistency across drawing sets.
Clean, Organized CAD Practices
Models and drawings follow strict naming conventions, layer standards, and file organization. This ensures seamless handoff, easy navigation, and professional presentation across all deliverables.
Commitment to Quality & Accuracy
Accuracy First
Models and drawings are developed with fabrication‑ready detail, clear communication, and practical awareness shaped by real shop‑floor experience. Every dimension, callout, and annotation is created with the goal of eliminating ambiguity and supporting confident fabrication.
Consistency in Every Deliverable
Structured documentation, clean standards, and organized file practices ensure every drawing looks and reads the same. Repeatability and uniformity are core principles — clients receive predictable, professional documentation every time.
Clarity for the Shop Floor
All documentation is created for real production environments. Dimensions, weld symbols, notes, and views are designed to be understood quickly and confidently by fabricators, welders, assemblers, and shop supervisors.
Professionalism & Integrity
Reliable communication, predictable timelines, and strict adherence to proper drafting scope define every engagement. No engineering services, no PE work, no analysis — only accurate, compliant steel‑only CAD documentation.
What FMI Believes
Documentation should eliminate guesswork
Fabricators deserve clarity
Standards should be predictable and consistent
Communication should be simple, direct, and professional
Drafting should support real production environments
Steel‑only specialization produces better, more reliable results
Revision control is essential for traceability and confidence
Organized CAD practices create predictable, fabrication‑ready deliverables
What Makes FMI Different
Fast, Predictable Turnaround
Structured workflows, organized file practices, and disciplined communication keep projects moving on real production timelines.
Clear Communication & Transparent Pricing
No surprises, no hidden fees, and no vague deliverables — just predictable documentation and straightforward collaboration.
Strict Drafting‑Only Boundaries
No engineering claims, no PE work, no analysis, and no fabrication services. FMI stays in its lane to maintain compliance and clarity.
Steel‑Only Specialization
FMI focuses exclusively on steel components, welded assemblies, and fabrication‑ready documentation — no mixed‑discipline distractions and no scope creep.
Fabrication‑Ready Drawings
Every model and drawing is built to eliminate guesswork, reduce rework, and support real production environments.
Shop‑Floor Experience
Documentation is shaped by hands‑on fabrication work — bending, fitting, welding, and building steel components before ever opening a CAD file.
Reverse‑Documentation Expertise
Legacy prints, undocumented parts, missing drawings, and outdated documentation are rebuilt with clarity, structure, and fabrication‑ready detail.
Before ever opening a CAD file, Shawn spent years fabricating, fitting, bending, and building steel components by hand. This practical foundation shapes every model and drawing FMI produces.
Documentation is created with real fabrication awareness — clear dimensions, buildable details, and communication that makes sense to the people who actually use the drawings. Every deliverable reflects the mindset of someone who has worked directly with steel and understands how parts are truly made.
This foundation ensures FMI’s documentation is practical, buildable, and aligned with real production workflows.
Built From the Shop Floor Up
Ready to Begin?
FMI provides steel‑focused CAD modeling and drafting built for real fabrication environments. If you’re ready to start a project or need clarity before beginning, you can move forward in the way that fits your workflow.
Start a Project
Begin a new modeling or drafting project with clear direction, predictable timelines, and fabrication‑ready documentation.
Schedule a Consultation
Discuss project requirements, documentation needs, or fabrication‑aligned workflows before beginning formal work.