Aerospace Industry
Aerospace work gets checked twice. Once when the part is measured. Once when the paperwork is read. We plan for both.
5-axis CNC machining, metal and plastic 3D printing, injection molding and sheet metal. Aluminium, titanium, Inconel and 17-4PH. From one test bracket to a pilot build.
Parts we make
Most of them are small, light and awkward. They hold something else in place, and nobody sees them until they fail. That is exactly why the tolerance and the paperwork matter.
Machined from 7075 or 2024 plate. Lightening pockets, even wall, and no sharp internal corner to start a crack.
Inconel 718 and 17-4PH. Heat treated, stress relieved, then checked for flatness after the final pass.
Bores, seal grooves and port faces cut in one setup on 5-axis. Coaxiality held so the piston does not bind.
EMI-tight lids, grounding pads kept conductive, and connector cut-outs that line up with the board.
Motor mounts, arms and gimbal frames. Printed first to check weight, then machined in aluminium or carbon.
Thin, stiff and mass-optimised. Titanium and aluminium, each one shipped with a full dimensional report.
Test stands, drill jigs and assembly fixtures. Printed in a day, or welded from sheet if it has to be strong.
Internal channels and finned faces. Flow paths that hold pressure and clean up properly after machining.
Not on the list? Most aerospace work is custom. Send the file and we will tell you if it is a fit.
Why YiguProto
Price is third on the list. First comes "can you hold it", then "can you prove it". Here is how we answer both.
The first part is easy. The hundredth is the job. We hold the process, not just the tolerance, so part 1 and part 100 measure the same.
Aerospace parts get lightened until they ring. We control heat, step-down and fixturing so a 1 mm wall stays flat after anodizing.
Titanium and Inconel eat tools and time. We price the real cycle time, the right cutter and the coolant, so the number you approve is the number you pay.
FAI to AS9102, CMM data, material certs with heat lot, CoC, RoHS and REACH. Your QA team gets a folder, not an email.
Every batch is logged when it lands and matched to the parts cut from it. If a question comes back in two years, we can still answer it.
Print the concept, machine the test article, mold the interior part, fold the shield. Same files, same engineer, one thread of questions.
01CNC Machining
Most aerospace metal parts are machined. There is no tooling to amortise, no minimum run, and the drawing is the only thing that has to be right.
The hard part is not the shape. It is holding a tolerance across a thin wall, in a hard alloy, after heat treatment, on the hundredth part. That is what we plan for before the first cut.
Airframe fittings, brackets and housings with curved faces and angled ports. One setup means no re-datum and no tolerance stack.
5-axis machining →Shafts, bushings, fittings and threaded inserts. Diameters held to ±0.005 mm, and threads are gauged, not guessed.
CNC turning →Sharp internal corners, fine slots and clean cut-offs in hardened or already heat-treated stock.
Wire EDM →Flatness and surface finish after heat treat. Ra 0.4 µm on seal faces, bearing bores and mating flanges.
CNC grinding →| Alloy | Why aerospace uses it | What we machine from it |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 7075-T6 | Highest strength of the common alloys, resists bending | Wing ribs, brackets, structural fittings |
| Aluminium 6061-T6 | Machines clean, anodizes evenly, easy to buy | Housings, panels, prototype structure |
| Aluminium 2024-T351 | Fatigue resistant, the classic airframe alloy | Frame supports, doublers, skin fittings |
| Titanium Ti-6Al-4V | Half the weight of steel, holds strength at 400 °C | Engine brackets, fasteners, actuator bodies |
| Titanium Grade 2 | Ductile, corrosion proof, easy to form | Ducts, clamps, chemical and fuel lines |
| Stainless 17-4PH | High strength after ageing, good corrosion resistance | Shafts, pins, landing gear details |
| Inconel 718 | Holds strength at 650 °C, resists oxidation | Exhaust parts, turbine hardware, hot sections |
| PEI (Ultem 9085), PEEK | Strong plastic, low smoke, electrically insulating | Interior brackets, insulators, ducting |
Send STEP plus a 2D drawing with GD&T. We reply with price, lead time and any drawing questions.
023D Printing
Aerospace took additive manufacturing seriously early, because weight is money. Printing also merges assemblies into one part and lets you test a shape before anyone cuts metal.
We print in resin, nylon and metal. Use it for fit checks and jigs, or for real end-use brackets when the volume is low and the geometry is ugly for machining.
Fine detail and smooth surfaces. Wind tunnel models, duct mock-ups and clear light covers.
SLA printing →Tough PA12 parts with no support marks. Ducting, clips, airframe mock-ups and small batches.
SLS printing →AlSi10Mg, 316L and Ti64. Lattice brackets, merged assemblies and thin-walled hot parts.
Metal printing →Cheap, stiff and fast. Drill jigs, test stands and shop-floor fixtures that nobody photographs.
FDM printing →| Process | Material | Accuracy | Aerospace use |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLA | Tough / clear resin | ±0.1 mm | Wind tunnel models, duct mock-ups |
| DLP | High-detail resin | ±0.05 mm | Small sensors, fine connector bodies |
| SLS | PA12, PA11, TPU | ±0.3 mm or ±0.3% | Clips, covers, ducting, brackets |
| MJF | PA12, PA12 glass bead | ±0.3 mm | Batch housings, mock-up structures |
| SLM | AlSi10Mg, 316L, Ti64 | ±0.1 mm | Lattice brackets, heat sinks, thin hot parts |
| FDM | Ultem 9085, PC, ABS | ±0.5 mm | Jigs, fixtures, test stands |
03Injection Molding
Molded parts live inside the aircraft, not outside it. Cable clamps, connector bodies, interior panels, covers and insulators.
The value is repeatability at volume, plus materials that pass flammability and smoke tests. We build the tool, run the samples, and hand over the process window with the parts.
Aluminium tool in 10 to 15 days for 500 to 5,000 parts. Keeps a program moving before the hard tool is signed off.
Rapid tooling →Hardened steel, hot runner, tight process windows. ±0.02 mm on fits, and no flash on a sealing face.
Precision molding →Metal inserts bonded in place. Threaded bosses that will not pull out, and connector bodies that stay sealed.
Insert molding →PEI, PPS, PEEK and FR grades. Dried properly, hot-runner molded, annealed where the drawing calls for it.
Molding services →| Plastic | Why aerospace uses it | Typical part |
|---|---|---|
| PEI (Ultem 9085) | High strength, low smoke, inherently flame retardant | Interior brackets, ducting, panels |
| PPS | Chemical resistant, dimensionally stable when hot | Connector bodies, pump parts |
| PEEK | Holds properties at 250 °C, low outgassing | Bushings, seals, spacers |
| PC | Tough, transparent, good electrical insulation | Light covers, lens housings |
| PA66 + 30% GF | Stiff, economical, good fatigue behaviour | Clips, brackets, housings |
| POM | Low friction, stable in humidity | Sliders, rollers, small gears |
| PTFE | Chemically inert, lowest friction available | Seals, insulators, liners |
| LSR / fluorosilicone | Flexible, resists fuel, oil and low temperature | Gaskets, seals, boots |
Tooling and part price are quoted separately, so you can see what the mold actually costs.
04Sheet Metal
Aircraft structures have been folded from sheet for a century. Cut, form, join, finish. Thin, stiff, and cheap to change.
We cut with fibre laser, form on press brakes, and join with laser or spot weld, rivets and PEM hardware. Then finish it to match the assembly it bolts into.
Any outline, any hole pattern, no tooling. Burr-free edges and hold-down tabs so thin sheet stays flat.
Laser cutting →Repeatable bend angles, with bend relief planned so the part closes without a gap at the corner.
CNC bending →Above a few thousand parts, a stamping tool beats laser cutting on piece price and cycle time.
Metal stamping →Laser and spot weld, rivets, PEM inserts. Then paint, powder coat or passivate to spec.
Welding & assembly →| Material | Thickness range | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 2024-T3 | 0.4–2.0 mm | Skins, frames, doublers |
| Aluminium 5052 | 0.5–3.0 mm | Racks, trays, covers |
| Aluminium 6061 | 0.8–4.0 mm | Brackets, mounting plates |
| Stainless 301 / 304 | 0.3–2.0 mm | Heat shields, clamps, springs |
| Stainless 17-4PH | 0.5–2.0 mm | High-strength brackets |
| Titanium Grade 2 sheet | 0.4–1.5 mm | Hot-zone shields, ducting |
| Inconel 625 sheet | 0.3–1.5 mm | Exhaust shields, heat barriers |
| Galvanized steel (SECC) | 0.5–2.0 mm | Ground equipment, enclosures |
Send a DXF or STEP file. Flat patterns and bend notes come back with the quote.
Choose the right process
Aerospace programs usually use more than one. Pick by stage and volume, not by habit. This table is the short version.
| Your situation | Best first choice | Why | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept stage, need a shape to hold | 3D printing (SLA or MJF) | No tooling. Change the file, print again. | 1–3 days |
| Test article in the real alloy | CNC machining | Same material as production. Holds ±0.01 mm. | 3–7 days |
| Lightweight bracket with a lattice | Metal 3D printing (SLM) | Geometry that machining cannot reach. | 5–10 days |
| Pilot build, 50 to 500 parts | CNC or bridge tooling | No hard tool commitment yet. | 7–15 days |
| Interior parts at 1,000 and up | Injection molding | Tool cost spreads thin. Same part every time. | 20–35 days incl. tool |
| Racks, trays, shields or frames | Sheet metal | Cheaper than machining, faster than molding. | 5–10 days |
| Sealed housing that must stay light | 5-axis machining + chromate | One setup, conductive faces, tight gasket lands. | 5–9 days |
Send the drawing and the volume. We will tell you which of the four is cheapest for that part, and why.
Specifications
The numbers engineers and buyers ask for first. If your drawing needs something outside these ranges, ask. Some of it we can still do, and we will say so rather than guess.
| Process | Tolerance | Min. wall | Surface finish | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis CNC machining | ±0.005 mm critical / ±0.05 mm standard | 1.0 mm | Ra 0.4–1.6 µm | 3–7 days |
| CNC turning | ±0.005 mm on diameter | 1.0 mm | Ra 0.8–1.6 µm | 3–7 days |
| 3D printing (SLA / DLP) | ±0.1 mm | 0.6 mm | Ra 1.6 µm after polish | 1–3 days |
| 3D printing (SLS / MJF) | ±0.3 mm or ±0.3% | 0.8 mm | Matte, slightly grainy | 2–5 days |
| Metal 3D printing (SLM) | ±0.1 mm | 0.4 mm | As built, then machined | 5–10 days |
| Injection molding | ±0.02 mm critical / ±0.1 mm standard | 0.8 mm | SPI B1–A2 | 20–35 days |
| Sheet metal | ±0.1 mm | 0.4 mm | Painted, powder coated, passivated | 5–10 days |
Lead times start from approved DFM and, for molding, from approved tool design. Tolerances are quoted per feature, not per part, so tell us which dimensions carry the function.
Quality & documentation
The part is half the delivery. The other half is the evidence that it is right, in a format your quality team can file.
First article inspection on every new part and every process change. Ballooned drawing, measured values, pass or fail per feature.
Critical features measured on a coordinate measuring machine, not a caliper. Reports in your format, with the datum scheme you specified.
Mill certs with heat lot number and chemistry, matched to the parts cut from that batch.
A signed CoC with every shipment, listing the drawing revision and the specifications we worked to.
Declarations for every material we ship, so a supply-chain audit does not turn into a surprise.
Control plan, PFMEA and capability data when your program needs production-part approval.
Our scope
Aerospace buyers get burned by suppliers who say yes to everything. So here is the honest line, before you spend time on a drawing package.
If your program needs any of the four on the right, we would rather lose the RFQ than lose your audit. Ask us early and we will tell you straight.
How a project runs
Aerospace hardware moves in stages. Each one answers a single question. We are set up to move with you, and to hand over clean files at every gate.
Tolerance feasibility, material and temper, finish callout. Back in 24 hours with questions, not silence.
Does the design work? Printed and machined samples, 5 to 20 pieces. Fast, rough, cheap to change.
Does it work in the real alloy with the real finish? Machined test articles, 20 to 100 pieces, FAI included.
Can the process repeat? Tooling, control plan, capability check, then scheduled shipments with lot traceability.
STEP, IGES, X_T, DXF, or a PDF with GD&T. Tell us the alloy, the finish, the quantity and the date you need it. You get price, lead time and drawing questions, usually the same business day.
FAQ