Businesses and governments use machine shops across the United States to acquire precision machined parts, including gearbox housings, shroud sets, control panels, and other aerospace or defense components. What, therefore, makes an aerospace machine shop a good fit for the work you need? Everything boils down to capability and quality.
Expertise
Quality control, certifications, and participation in appropriate regulatory boards are all requirements of an aerospace machine shop. But, most crucially, they require machinery! Look into a contract machine shop’s machining tools while shopping for one. Is the shop equipped with the latest, cutting-edge CNC machinery? Do they have instruments that can make intricate cuts using the fourth axis?
Quality Products and Timely Delivery
When looking for a contract machine shop, the same principles apply to any firm. Look for outstanding quality management, on-time delivery, and rapid, clear communication. Speak with the establishments you’re thinking about working with and inquire about response times, hours of operation, accessibility, and previous client experiences.
It would be great to believe that every machine shop can guarantee precision, but in the aerospace and military industries, perfect precision is essential. Well-maintained CMM equipment in a machine shop may be the difference between smooth functioning and catastrophic failure.
Certifications
Without the proper qualifications, a machine shop cannot guarantee quality. Even the most flawlessly constructed product is meaningless without the required certifications, whether contracting for aerospace or the government.
Two certifications are essential when looking for a contract machine shop: the International Organization of Standards 9001 and AS 9100. Although many aerospace machine shops are ISO 9001 certified, the same cannot be said for AS 9100.
