An Overview of New Manufacturing Technologies Being Used in the Aerospace Industry

Precision is key in the manufacturing of aerospace components, as aviation equipment must not only be finely tuned, but also capable of enduring under extreme environmental conditions. Achieving the exceptional precision and tight tolerance of machined components used in aerospace applications requires the use of cutting-edge technology. In fact, the aerospace industry is the birthplace of many novel precision manufacturing techniques that have gone on to be used in a variety of other applications. Here, we’ll explore some of the common manufacturing and quality control technologies being used to revolutionize the aerospace industry.

CNC Machining Technologies

Components used in the aerospace industry must be simultaneously lightweight yet durable, corrosion resistant, and capable of extreme tolerances. In order to meet extremely stringent specifications, aerospace engineers rely on a variety of specialized materials, such as composite metals and plastics with exact amounts of additives to enhance everything from strength and flexibility to temperature and chemical resistance. Machining components from such materials is a technical challenge, requiring advanced equipment that not only produces highly complex, defect-free components, but also does so without compromising the structural integrity of the materials.

One of the most common and best technologies used to precision manufacture aerospace components is CNC machining, which describes an array of automated manufacturing processes that use computer software to control the movement of manufacturing tools, such as grinders, lathes, routers, and mills.

CNC machining techniques have greatly increased the precision and efficiency with which three-dimensional components can be cut from a range of materials, and the technology only continues to advance. For example, the development of modern automation technologies allows for highly efficient multi-axis CNC machining, which involves tools that can move in four or more directions. Additionally, the precision involved in these processes enables engineers to create components with thin wall characteristics while maintaining complete structural integrity, accuracy, and straightness—a must in parts used in aerospace applications.

Quality Control Technology

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of quality control in machining components for aerospace applications. Modern manufacturing facilities must invest heavily in their quality assurance programs and technologies to ensure that parts are not only machined efficiently to exact specifications with minimal waste, but also that they are 100% free from defects that could cause them to fail under extreme conditions. Today, state-of-the-art quality management technologies can be used to track and measure quality at every stage of production to ensure accuracy without placing an undue burden on the manufacturing process.

Demmer Manufacturing’s Affiliates Lead the Industry in Precision Machining for the Aerospace Industry

At Demmer Manufacturing, our portfolio consists of leaders in middle-market precision manufacturing and fabrication that have been serving the aerospace industry, among many others, for decades. Our portfolio companies benefit from stable leadership and heavy investments in their technology and people, enabling them to lead the way in providing tight-tolerance, cost-effective machined components in high and low volumes.

For more information about the technologies that our companies use to manufacture components for the aerospace industry, view our portfolio and visit our affiliates’’ websites.