There are machine shops in almost every small to large town and city across the United States. However, not all of these machine shops are able to effectively produce parts and components for all industries.
One of the specialized types of industries that uses machining services for a wide variety of parts and components is the aerospace industry. Within the various requirements for these types of parts and components is the ability to produce to tight tolerances, as well as the ability to work with a wide variety of different materials. In simple terms, it is important to find an aerospace machine shop with experience in producing parts for the industry.
Finding a Qualifying Machine Shop
Different types of parts and components in the aerospace industry are made out of various materials, including different stainless steel grades, plastics, and even the superalloys such as Inconel and Hastelloy.
In most cases, these superalloy parts are those used in areas of the system that are high heat and high pressure, such as blades on turbines or in parts and components used in the engine.
Interior types of parts on the cabin of the plane are typically made of stainless steel or aluminum, designed for high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and a long life cycle.
Finding an aerospace machine shop first starts with knowing the type of material is to be machined. Most basic machine shops have no experience in working with superalloys, and they may have limited experience in creating the quality of parts and components needed for the interior cabin fixtures and elements.
Complex Parts and Components
An aerospace machine shop as the equipment to produce highly complex parts to meet the order and delivery requirements of the customer. While there are some parts that may require manual machines, most are produced on CNC multi-axis machines to save time, cost and to work to the tight tolerances required.
