Common Materials Used in Defense CNC Machining
A large percentage of the parts we produce at Intrex Aerospace are for application in the defense industry. We have produced parts for this market for many years. We produce machined components from solids, castings, and forgings. The materials we machine vary from aluminum to CR steel to stainless steel to titanium to Inconel. There is no “standard”. The material specification is customer driven. We can and have accommodated most material requests.
We have made significant investments in capital and support equipment to accommodate being able to machine the many varied raw materials. This allows us to be able to offer complex machining from solids, castings, and forgings. Many of the parts we currently provide from casting and forging sources are specified through our customers’ preferred supplier bases.
Our recent investments in CNC machines and support equipment have allowed us to improve our efficiencies and increase throughput while producing tighter tolerance parts. That is how we stay competitive. Our new equipment is designed to:
Reduce Setups
Most of our recently purchased CNC machines have multi-axis, multi-spindle capabilities. The machines can machine multiple surfaces with a limited number of chucking. This eliminates possibilities for error caused by having to move the workpiece multiple times.
Internally Transfer the Workpiece Between Two Spindles
Some of our machines can transfer the workpiece between two spindles on the same machine. This ability helps maintain “home” or “zero” reference as the part is transferred. This minimizes the number of chucking and eliminates much of the tolerance stack up.
Tool Heads With Rotary Drive
Adding a milling (rotary) work head into a turn machine envelope greatly increases machining efficiencies. It reduces the need to move the part from machine to machine, eliminating tolerance stack up.
Maintain Tighter Tolerance
Having multi-spindle, multi-axis machines gives us better control of the entire machining process. We can produce better tolerancing, achieving better finishes with greater efficiencies.
ITAR Compliance
Much of our defense work requires ITAR compliance. We have many years of experience providing parts with ITAR compliance. We are also experienced with defense DX or DO requirements. In addition, we have both AS9100 and ISO 9001 certifications. Our quality system can provide the system controls and supporting documentation necessary for these types of parts.
Our powerful Epicor ERP/MRP software system manages the entire process including material sourcing, production scheduling, special processing management, shipping, and documentation. We are familiar and experienced with FAIs and AOGs.
To learn more about Intrex Aerospace’s manufacturing capabilities for government aerospace and defense projects, or about the advantages of 5-axis CNC machining for the defense markets, contact our office today.