About the Founder
Founder Bio
Shawn Leech — Founder & Principal
Forge Mechanical Innovation, LLC Delaware, Ohio Email: contact@fmi-mechanical.com
“I’m Shawn Leech, the founder of Forge Mechanical Innovation, LLC — a steel‑focused CAD modeling and drafting service built on 30+ years of hands‑on fabrication, mechanical documentation support, and project leadership across multiple industries.”
“Precision is the foundation of every successful build.”
Industries Worked Across
Steel fabrication
Building products & garage door systems
Automotive program leadership
Heating technologies
Industrial equipment & components
R&D environments
Global manufacturing
Technical documentation & manufacturing support
Consulting & Full‑Time Industry Work
Independent CAD support since 2017. Operate alongside full‑time manufacturing role. Strict avoidance of projects overlapping with full‑time employer’s industry.
Credentials Snapshot
30+ years fabrication & documentation experience
7+ years independent consulting
Cross‑industry mechanical documentation support
Global manufacturing coordination
Hands‑on steel fabrication background
Structured CAD documentation practices
Production‑aligned drafting workflows
My Background
“I didn’t start my career behind a computer — I started with steel in my hands. In the early 90s I was on the shop floor, building heavy steel components before moving into drafting, product development, and manufacturing support.”
Hands‑on experience with heavy industrial steel equipment — real shop‑floor work in the early 90s that shaped FMI’s steel‑only CAD documentation approach.
Founder Philosophy
Precision is non‑negotiable
Fabricators deserve clarity
Documentation should eliminate guesswork
Standards should be predictable and consistent
Communication should be simple, direct, and professional
Steel‑only specialization produces better results
Revision discipline protects fabrication timelines
A 30‑year career built across heavy industrial steel fabrication, production‑aligned documentation, new product development support, and complex mechanical systems.
Career Experience Overview
New Product Development (NPD) & Structured Documentation Workflows
Experience supporting structured development processes across multiple industries, including documentation alignment, phase‑gate workflows, cross‑functional coordination, requirements tracking, and production‑ready deliverables. Background includes developing documentation standards, organizing project information, supporting prototype cycles, and guiding teams through early‑stage and pre‑production development activities.
New Model Project Leadership (Automotive Systems)
Led new‑model project coordination for complex automotive components, including exhaust systems, torque converters, catalytic converters, dampers, shocks, and struts. Responsibilities included cross‑functional alignment, tooling‑readiness support, documentation workflows, supplier coordination, milestone tracking, and production‑aligned deliverables for full lifecycle new‑model launches. Work focused on structured communication, requirements organization, and ensuring documentation and readiness activities remained aligned with program timing — without performing design or engineering analysis.
NPDI / NPD Project & Program Management (Critical Infrastructure & Industrial Systems)
Experience supporting structured development processes for critical‑infrastructure systems, thermal‑system products, access‑system components, and automotive new‑model programs. Work includes workflow standardization, documentation alignment, cross‑functional coordination, milestone tracking, requirements management, and structured communication practices. Focus areas include process mapping, documentation organization, phase‑gate support, and guiding teams through full lifecycle development activities from early‑stage planning through production‑aligned readiness.
Additional Technical Background
Hands‑on experience in residential framing (stick‑built homes), GIS‑based mapping of telecom infrastructure, and site‑mapping support for environmental monitoring wells and ground treatment. These early‑career roles provided practical field and documentation experience that strengthens FMI’s fabrication‑aligned drafting accuracy.
Heavy Industrial Steel Fabrication
Hands‑on fabrication background supporting major melt‑shop and mill equipment, including torpedo cars, slab tongs, clamshell buckets, ram girders, coke‑oven components, water‑wall panels, blast‑furnace uptakes and downcomers, electric‑arc‑furnace roof and delta sections, pressure‑vessel assemblies, and other heavy industrial steel structures. This foundation provides practical insight into how steel components are built, handled, and used in real production environments.
Steel Industry Drafting & Documentation
Extensive experience producing fabrication‑ready documentation for steel‑industry production systems. Work includes coal chutes, mold hoods, flame‑cut components, commercial scales, slab‑tong assemblies, electro‑galvanization line structures, de‑skulling pit, tundish preheat covers, and plate‑mill components. Background includes reverse documentation, legacy modernization, structured drawing packages, and shop‑floor‑aligned deliverables.
Product Development & R&D Documentation Support
More than a decade supporting new product development for stamped sheet‑metal components, molded plastics, hardware assemblies, installation instructions, cost‑reduction initiatives, supplier coordination, prototype documentation, and production‑aligned deliverables. Experience includes concept refinement, documentation updates, structured workflows, and support for early‑stage development cycles.
R&D Leadership for Thermal & Heating Systems
Experience supporting surface‑heating products, flexible heating elements, silicone‑based heating components, thermal controls, and related assemblies. Work includes documentation alignment, structured design workflows, prototype support, cross‑functional coordination, and production‑aligned deliverables for industrial and semiconductor applications. Background includes leading project teams, gathering requirements, and supporting full lifecycle development activities.
Why I Started Forge Mechanical Innovation
Fabricators and manufacturers need accurate steel‑only CAD documentation delivered quickly and consistently. FMI exists to provide precise 3D models, fabrication‑ready drawings, and clear assembly documentation without the delays, inconsistencies, or scope creep common in general CAD services. My focus is simple: steel components, done right, every time.
Ready to Work Together?
FMI provides steel‑focused CAD modeling and drafting shaped by real fabrication experience. If you’re ready to begin or want clarity before starting, choose the option that fits your workflow.