When businesses and governments need precision machined parts like gearbox housings, shroud sets, control panels, and other aerospace components – they turn to machining companies across the country. But what makes a machining company a smart choice for aerospace machining? In most cases – it all comes down to quality and capabilities.
The Right Certifications
Ensure quality with the right certifications. Whether a customer has a need for landing-gear struts or precision machined aerospace components for a satellite array, the proper certifications are an essential place to start.
How AS 9100 Differs from ISO 9001:2008
When it comes to procurement of vendors for aerospace machining, many often wonder how AS 9100 differs from ISO 9001:2008. While many precision machine shops are ISO 9001 certified, the same isn’t true for AS 9100 certification.
In essence, ISO 9001: 2008 sets the stage for AS 9100 by establishing the most basic standards that need to be met. The AS 9100 standard expands on ISO 9001 to accommodate the particularly complex nature of CNC machining for aerospace parts.
One example of this is the way AS 9100 introduces terminology such as flight critical items, key characteristics, and special requirements – language that you won’t find in ISO 9001:2008. This introduces higher standards that apply to areas like risk-management, project management, validation, and verification procedures.
Ultimately, both standards have become intertwined. But the AS 9100 standard adds to the ISO 9001 standard. This means that a machining company certified to AS 9100 is more suited for complex aerospace projects.
How Baron Does It: At Baron, we possess both the ISO 9001:2008 and AS 9100 certifications. This offers our aerospace customers the assurance that our machining, tool making, quality control, and testing standards are among the best-of-the-best, and capable of the complexity the aerospace industry depends on. Learn more about our capabilities and certifications in our capabilities statement.
Advanced, Modern Equipment
Get the quality you need from the latest equipment
Frequently investing in advanced equipment and training is essential when it comes to offering the standard of precision required by aerospace machining. But this isn’t just limited to the “big guns” on the shop floor. The best aerospace machine shops will also have advanced tooling, quality assurance systems (that are frequently calibrated), and an organized facility that supports lean manufacturing practices.
How Baron Does It: With advanced CNC machining equipment with fourth-axis capability, we can perform complex cuts on aerospace parts which improves efficiency by enabling our machinists to avoid the need for extra setups.
Several horizontal milling centers and advanced spherical grinding capabilities make Baron a machinist of choice for a wide variety of aerospace parts and components.
Skill, Support, and Education
The finest CNC machining centers and the most advanced quality assurance equipment accomplish nothing without a team of engineers and machinists capable of making the absolute most of their capabilities. By choosing an aerospace machining company, you hope for a team backed by training, education, and experience. Is that what you’re getting?
With engineers and machinists that understand the relationship between design constraints and machining – the result is always better. Even if you’re providing designs for your machinist to follow – the ability to make changes to models and a critical eye for design improvements can save both time and money.
How Baron Does It: With over 60 years of experience as a precision machine shop, Baron Machine Company employs both industry veterans and fresh talent. On top of this, our tuition reimbursement programs encourage our entire team to stay as up-to-date as our equipment, and our quality programs consistently optimize processes to make us more efficient and effective.
In-House Tooling
Leverage in-house expertise for drastic time savings
When it comes to contract manufacturing for aerospace components, time is consistently a factor. While advanced machinery for large, complex CNC machining is important – it doesn’t do much good if tools can’t accommodate the part’s specifications.
For that reason, in-house tooling for aerospace machining is essential. Why? Because for many aerospace components, one of the most challenging processes is developing tooling that effectively (and efficiently) accommodates the part’s complex geometries. The ability to develop custom tools and fixtures in-house translates into drastic time-savings for both first piece inspection and full production.
How Baron Does It: With Baron’s in-house tooling and aerospace machining expertise, you benefit from a deep understanding of the precision required for aerospace parts, with the ingenuity and experience needed to create the custom tools and fixturing that help deliver it.
