March 23, 2020 – Important Announcement: Anderson Shumaker’s Operation Schedule On March 21 at 5:00 PM, the State of Illinois enforced a “Shelter at Home Order.” This order aims to flatten the curve of COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this order, all non-essential businesses will temporarily close. However, manufacturing is considered an essential business. Therefore, Anderson…
Some days, we like to get a little wild in the forge shop; at least we do with our exotic alloys. But what exactly are exotic alloys? Today we’ll discuss 3 popular exotic alloys that we forge at Anderson Shumaker. What Are Exotic Alloys? Exotic alloys (also called super alloys) contain a very high alloy…
We forge a lot of special projects at Anderson Shumaker, but none more so than our special machinery forged parts. Because special machinery’s requirements present unique challenges, these projects require a lot of upfront planning to ensure each part and process is perfect. Last week we discussed custom forging, so it only makes sense to…
Do you need something custom forged? Anderson Shumaker has got you covered! We are an industry leader in forging durable, custom parts. Furthermore, we forge in a variety of materials for many industries and applications. Our Custom Forgings We can take our customers’ demanding requirements and create custom parts from forge to finish machining. Best…
We know that both skill and practice makes our products perfect and avoids common forging defects. Our talented employees work hard to make sure all forgings that leave our shop are of superior quality and meet all client specifications. However, in the forging process, defects sometimes happen. A skilled forging workforce like Anderson Shumaker’s knows…
Did you know that Anderson Shumaker is a leading manufacturer of forged steel blocks? We forge blocks for all types of industries, including oil & gas, food processing, aerospace, defense, and many more. We make our forged steel blocks through our open die forging process. Our blocks exhibit ductility, ease of machining, and high strength.…
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: it’s the people and employees at Anderson Shumaker who make our company truly successful. Our dedicated employees are eager to learn, show great integrity, have confidence, excellent attention to detail, and above all, are diversely talented. Our carefully crafted company culture is a unique part of…
Our forging equipment works just as hard as our talented employees. Moreover, if we didn’t have proper equipment, we wouldn’t be able to offer diverse products or meet our high-quality standards. Today we’ll take a look at our most important forge shop equipment. FORGING & RING ROLLING EQUIPMENT Anderson Shumaker uses all of the below…
Forging nickel-based alloys is an important part of Anderson Shumaker’s operations. Our skilled team knows their metals inside and out. But, not everyone is familiar with the many materials we forge. Each metal has its own unique properties and attributes. Therefore, not all metals are appropriate for all products. A few weeks back we discussed…
In November 2019, we welcomed the newest addition to the Anderson Shumaker equipment family: a brand-new heat-treat furnace! Additionally, our new furnace was designed, engineered, and built in-house. This is quite an accomplishment. Consequently, we’re really proud of this latest equipment addition. Here are a few fun facts about our new heat-treat furnace: Clam Shell…
Happy New Year from Anderson Shumaker! In our last few holiday blog posts, we’ve focused on holiday traditions. Consequently, we’ve talked a lot about food. Special dishes – sometimes served only once a year – are an integral part in new year holiday traditions and celebrations. For example, many Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving, hotdogs…
Merry Christmas from the Anderson Shumaker family! Today’s holiday is celebrated by 92% of American families. However, America isn’t the only country to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a very important time for celebration – religious or just plain festive – for many cultures all over the world. To help get you into the holiday spirit,…
Happy holidays from your friends at Anderson Shumaker! Yesterday was our annual company holiday luncheon. Consequently, our workforce took a break from forging and we turned the shop floor into a winter wonderland. One of the best parts of Anderson Shumaker is our amazing company culture. For instance, our annual holiday party gathers all employees…
Our many certifications are very important at Anderson Shumaker. We’re proud to be PED (June 2019), AS9001D (March 2019), and ISO 9001:2015 (September 2018) certified. We’ve earned each key certification due to our diligent management and our dedicated workforce. However, while we’ve blogged about our PED and AS9001D certifications, we haven’t highlighted our very important…
Forging titanium is an important part of Anderson Shumaker’s operations. Our skilled team knows their metals inside and out. But, not everyone is familiar with the many materials we forge. Each metal has its own unique properties and attributes. Therefore, not all metals are appropriate for all products. A few weeks back we discussed aluminum.…
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends Anderson Shumaker! We’re thankful to have a few days off to celebrate with family and friends this holiday week. This year, we have a lot to be thankful for (not just a second – or third – helping of pumpkin pie). New Management We’re thankful to have been under new…
Customer satisfaction surveys are a big part of how we do business at Anderson Shumaker. We know our customers have options when it comes to forged products suppliers. Therefore, we regularly gather feedback about our services and products. This feedback gives us insight into what our customers need. Most importantly, it drives future decisions. At…
At Anderson Shumaker, we don’t just forge metals; we forge an excellent company culture. Culture is a critical and unique part to every business. Most importantly, it’s the core values that make employees want to join a team, and one of the biggest reasons why they stay – or leave – an organization. Therefore, crafting…
Forging aluminum grades is an important part of Anderson Shumaker’s production. Our skilled team knows their metals inside and out. But, not everyone is familiar with the many materials we forge. Each metal has its own unique properties and attributes. Therefore, not all metals are appropriate for all products. A few weeks back we discussed…
When you think “forging,” you probably don’t think “information technology.” While it seems like the two don’t go together, the truth is that information technology (IT) is a major part of modern forging. Without innovative IT, we’d be stuck in the dark ages. That wouldn’t be good for our customers or our employees. At Anderson…
Anderson Shumaker’s forge shop achieved its Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) certification! In addition to our recent AS9100D certification (aerospace), this new achievement helps us make big strides as a dependable forging supplier. Above all, it opens markets and helps us gain new customers. What is a Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) Certification? In short, a PED…
This summer Chicago gained an unusual celebrity: Chance the Snapper. Chance is a 40 lb, 5+ foot alligator named after the city’s very own Chance the Rapper. For one whole July week, the rogue gator lived his best life swimming around the Humboldt Park Lagoon. We loved following our resident reptile’s Chicago adventures. We even…
Our team achieved record breaking sales in July 2019. We’re only 1 week into autumn, but we’re already beating those numbers. Each month keeps getting better! What’s our secret? First, Anderson Shumaker has a stellar sales team. From our top sales management to our customer service experts, each sales team member is industry knowledgeable and…
Anderson Shumaker is now AS9100D (aerospace) certified. This certification is based on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)‘s aerospace industry standards. This is an important achievement for an open die forging company if the company seeks to become an aerospace industry supplier. For example, all major aerospace regulators endorse and require the AS9100D certification: DoD…
Anderson Shumaker really had a blast this summer. While Chicago’s weather was thankfully mild, we kept things hot on the shop-floor. From hosting tasty company barbeques, celebrating our 1-year new management anniversary, and earning coveted company certifications, we really had a fantastic summer! This June we proudly celebrated our 1-year anniversary under new management. Over…
Happy Independence Day from Anderson Shumaker! It’s a fantastic weekend for a barbecue, fireworks, or a fun getaway. Most importantly, today Americans come together to celebrate our nation’s history and heritage. To help you celebrate, here are a few fun Independence Day facts: Did You Know…? While July 4th was not a federal holiday until…
Forging University: Lesson #5 – Open-Die Forging vs. Centrifugal Casting Welcome back to Forging University! The fifth and last topic in our 5-part discussion compares two popular types of forging: open-die and centrifugal casting. Before reading on, take a quick look back to: Lesson #1, Lesson #2, Lesson #3, and Lesson #4 to review what…
Forging carbon steel is an important part of Anderson Shumaker’s production. Our skilled team knows their metals inside and out. But, not everyone is familiar with the many materials we forge. Each metal has its own unique properties and attributes. Therefore, not all metals are appropriate for all products. A few weeks back we discussed alloys. Today…
Did you know that Anderson Shumaker offers in-house testing on our forgings? While our forgings and ring rolling represent the best in high quality products, they wouldn’t be the best if it wasn’t for our in-house testing services. Usually, testing is the final step in manufacturing. Consequently, it’s a critical for cost-savings. Most importantly, by…
Forging University: Open-Die Forging vs. Closed-Die Forging Welcome back to Forging University! This is the fourth topic in our 5-part discussion. Today, we’ll compare two popular types of forging: open die vs. closed die. To get started, take a quick look back to Lesson #1, Lesson #2, and Lesson #3 to review forging basics. You can…
Anderson Shumaker offers complete finishing services on our forged products. Because we’re one-stop shop, our in-house extras save our customers both time and money. Above all, we offer seamless traceability. This means that with one phone call, our customers can trace the exact status of an order from start to end. From a CAD drawing…
Spring has finally sprung in Chicago! We’re “rolling” in the season with an increased production of our forged round bars. Did you know that round bars are an Anderson Shumaker specialty? We really strive to raise the “bar” with both our materials inventory and production. Our custom round bars are suited for multiple applications and…
Forging alloy steel is an important part of Anderson Shumaker’s production. Our skilled team knows their metals inside and out. But, not everyone is familiar with the many materials we forge. Each metal has its own unique properties and attributes. Therefore, not all metals are appropriate for all products. Last week we discussed tool steel. Today we’ll…