Precision manufacturing for parts where every change has to stay traceable: from the drawing to a repeatable component – from prototype to small batch.
CAD-based manufacturing · single parts & small batches · stainless steel & aluminium · welded assemblies · documented production
What matters in aerospace
In aerospace, the drawing is only part of the specification.
In many industries a manufacturing order needs only drawing + material + quantity. Aerospace projects can add further requirements:
a released drawing and revision status
material and batch records
special process requirements
defined inspection characteristics
marking of the part
documentation of deviations
first article evidence
traceability
customer-specific supplier requirements
The 9100 framework for aviation, space and defence extends a conventional ISO 9001 quality management system with, among other things, product safety, risk management, configuration management and the control of external suppliers.
It is not only the part that has to be right. The information about which part was made how must be under control as well.
Revision status and configuration management.
A small design change can have considerable consequences in an aerospace project. It therefore has to be unambiguously traceable: which drawing is valid? Which revision was built? Which manufacturing data belong to it? Which parts were produced to which status? Configuration management is the systematic way of ensuring that products meet their requirements and that their configuration stays clearly identified and documented across the life cycle.
Customer data → verified revision status → manufacturing data → work sequence → part → inspection
This is exactly where CAD-based manufacturing becomes more than machine programming.
From CAD model to real part
01
Take in the data
STEP, DXF and drawing data form the basis. Geometry, material and thickness, tolerances, interfaces, surfaces, welded joints and inspection characteristics are among the things reviewed.
02
Define the production process
On thin-walled or complex parts in particular, the processes affect one another – laser cutting, bending, forming, welding and finishing are treated as one connected process.
03
Generate repeatable manufacturing data
Customer data become machine programs and defined work sequences – the prerequisite for building a released part again later to the same revision status.
04
Experience completes the data
CAD describes the geometry. How a thin part is clamped, which welding sequence keeps distortion lowest, how the material reacts to heat, when to straighten, how a visible surface is preserved – this is where the specialists’ work begins.
Thin-walled, light – and still within tolerance.
Weight-optimised designs mean thinner walls and more complex geometries, and with them greater demands on forming, clamping, heat input, welding sequence, distortion control and surface treatment. One example from our own shop is a splittable motor cover just 1 mm thick, where laser welding and high visual standards come together – thin-walled work takes more than machine accuracy alone.
Specialist welding in sensitive structures
On aerospace parts, heat effects, distortion, surface and material condition, repeatability and test requirements matter as much as strength and geometry. We combine conventional welding skill with data-driven technology such as CNC-controlled 3D laser welding – an interesting combination for small runs and complex geometries in particular.
First article inspection: the first part proves the process.
Standard 9102 sets out the first article inspection (FAI) process for aviation, space and defence products: a first representative part demonstrates that the defined production process can produce a part that meets the design requirements. For a supplier that means allocating characteristics from the drawing and specification systematically to the inspection result.
We agree the scope and form of first article and manufacturing documentation with the customer for each project.
Traceability starts with the material.
Material batch → material certificate → production order → part → inspection → delivery
For approved production organisations, EASA Part 21 requires production data to be derived correctly from the design data and their traceability to the part concerned to be assured. That does not make stainlesstec a Part 21 production organisation – what matters is this: when an aerospace customer sets particular traceability and documentation requirements, we build them into the production order from the outset.
Not every process may be carried out by every supplier.
In aerospace projects, so-called special processes can be subject to particular approval or qualification requirements – depending on the project, welding, heat treatment, non-destructive testing, surface treatment or chemical processes, for instance.
A process we have technically mastered is not automatically approved for every aerospace project. Depending on the OEM, the tier-1 customer or the part, additional supplier or process approvals may be required.
Where stainlesstec can be of particular interest
Prototypes and development parts
Where only a few parts are needed at first and design and production have to work closely together.
Fixtures and tooling
Assembly, test and production fixtures, and bespoke special structures.
Housings and covers
Thin-walled structures in stainless steel or aluminium with high demands on geometry and surface.
Brackets, mounts and structural components
Complex single parts and small batches to customer data.
Welded assemblies
Parts where welding sequence, heat input and distortion are decisive.
Test and experimental equipment
Housings, frames, chambers and special components for test rigs and development systems.
Flight part or ground support equipment?
Not every aerospace component is subject to the same requirements. A part installed in the aircraft itself can face very different approval, process and documentation requirements from a test fixture, assembly equipment, a tool or a ground support component.
What is the part’s function – and what qualification does it actually call for? That is the first thing we establish on any enquiry.
Small batches and aerospace go together well.
Many aerospace applications are not made in mass quantities. Typical cases are development parts, prototypes, first lots, spares, variants, small recurring runs and special fittings. A flexible shop that combines the advantages of small lot sizes with repeatable CAD and manufacturing data is of particular interest here.
EN/AS 9100 is the central quality management standard of the aviation, space and defence industry. It builds on ISO 9001 but adds industry-specific requirements. Some orders can be placed by OEM or tier-1 customers with a shop working to ISO 9001 that they have approved – other projects require EN 9100 or specific special-process approvals as a matter of course.
Whether stainlesstec can be used on a given aerospace project depends on the part, its field of use and the customer’s supplier and process requirements. We establish those prerequisites before quoting.
Why stainlesstec?
CAD-based manufacturing
Digital manufacturing data provide the basis for repeatable single parts and small batches.
Specialists in demanding materials
The various stainless grades and aluminium each call for a different manufacturing strategy.
Experience with thin-walled structures
In lightweight structures, laser welding, clamping and distortion control play the central part.
Deep in-house capability
Laser cutting, punching, bending, welding, surface finishing and assembly – all coordinated.
Small lot sizes
Prototypes, pre-production runs, variants and recurring small batches suit the way we work.
Project-specific documentation
Material, inspection and manufacturing records are allowed for in project planning, within the agreed scope.
Let’s talk about your project.
Send us your drawing or CAD data by email – together with material, batch size and your requirements. We will come back to you with a sound assessment.
