Aerospace CNC Machining for Space and Defense Buyers
Aerospace CNC machining is precision milling and turning of flight, test and ground hardware to a controlled drawing, with the paperwork to prove it: material certs, first article inspection, special process certs and a certificate of conformance. Aerospace Sourcing takes your request, matches it to qualified machine shops, flows down your requirements and delivers one quote, one purchase order and one cert package.
What aerospace CNC machining covers
It covers any machined part that has to meet a drawing, a material specification and a quality system, whether it flies, goes into a test article or bolts onto ground equipment. The machines are the same ones a commercial shop runs. The difference is the controls around them.
Typical parts buyers send out include:
- Brackets, mounts, clips and fittings for structures and harness routing
- Housings and enclosures for avionics, RF and power electronics
- Manifolds, valve bodies, flanges and fluid fittings for propulsion and pressurization systems
- Optical and sensor mounts where flatness and stability matter more than size
- Test fixtures, vibration fixtures and adapter plates for qualification campaigns
- Components for ground support equipment such as lifting lugs, pins, clevises and interface plates
The processes behind those parts are 3 axis and 5 axis milling, turning and mill turn work, Swiss turning for small diameter parts, wire and sinker EDM, and grinding when a surface or bore needs it. Most real jobs also include at least one outside process, usually a coating, heat treat or nondestructive test, which is where schedules tend to slip.
Materials and what they mean for your job
The material callout drives cost, lead time and who can make the part, often more than the geometry. A good request names the exact alloy, temper and specification, not just "aluminum" or "stainless."
| Material family | Where it shows up | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum alloys such as 6061, 7075 and 2024 | Structure, brackets, housings, fixtures | Temper and spec on the drawing, coating allowances, plate availability in thick sections |
| Corrosion resistant steels such as 17-4PH, 15-5PH, 304, 316 and A286 | Fittings, fasteners, fluid components | Heat treat condition, passivation, cleanliness for fluid service |
| Titanium, most often Ti-6Al-4V | Lightweight structure, fittings, pressure hardware | Slower machining, tool wear, material lead time, specialty metals rules on defense work |
| Nickel alloys such as Inconel 718 and 625 | Hot sections, high pressure and high temperature parts | Hard to cut, long cycle times, heat treat and NDT often required |
| Engineering plastics such as PEEK, PTFE and polyimide | Insulators, seals, spacers, low outgassing parts | Dimensional stability, outgassing requirements, stress relief |
Two material issues catch buyers late. First, traceability: the shop has to buy from a source that provides mill certs showing chemistry and mechanical properties against the specification you called out, and those certs have to follow the part. Second, origin rules on defense work. DFARS 252.225-7009 restricts specialty metals in deliverable items such as aircraft, missile and space systems and their components unless the metal was melted or produced in the United States, its outlying areas or a qualifying country, with exceptions listed in the clause. The definition reaches titanium alloys, nickel and cobalt alloys and many steels. If your contract carries that clause, say so in the request so it gets flowed down before anyone buys bar stock.
Tolerances, features and finishes that drive difficulty
A part gets hard when its tightest requirement is hard to hold and hard to measure at the same time. Shops price and schedule around those features, so it helps to know them before you ask for a quote.
Features that add time and risk
- Tight positional and profile tolerances under ASME Y14.5 geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, especially across features machined in different setups
- Thin walls and deep pockets that move as material is removed
- Small internal corner radii, long small diameter bores and deep threads
- Flatness or parallelism on large plates and optical mounting surfaces
- Fine surface finish callouts on sealing faces and bores
- Datum schemes that do not match how the part can be held, which forces extra fixtures
If a tolerance is tighter than the function needs, a shop may quote it but you will pay for it in setup, inspection time and scrap. Engineering review of the tightest five or six callouts before release is cheap compared with paying for them on every lot.
Finishes and outside processes
Most aerospace parts leave the machine shop for at least one more step. Common callouts include anodizing to MIL-PRF-8625 (Type II for corrosion protection and paint base, Type III hardcoat for wear), chemical conversion coating on aluminum to MIL-DTL-5541, passivation of corrosion resistant steel to AMS 2700, plating, dry film lubricant, heat treatment and penetrant or other nondestructive testing. Type III hardcoat builds enough thickness that the machinist has to leave allowance for it, so the drawing should say whether dimensions apply before or after coating.
Many primes require these special processes to be done by a processor accredited under Nadcap, the industry program run by the Performance Review Institute. PRI publishes accredited suppliers in its Qualified Manufacturers List, so the supplier's choice of processor can be checked rather than taken on trust.
Certifications and paperwork to require
Ask for the quality system, the first article, the material trail and the special process trail. Those four cover most of what an incoming inspector or a customer auditor will look for.
- AS9100 quality management system. AS9100D, published in 2016, is the current revision used for aviation, space and defense manufacturers. Certification can be checked in the IAQG OASIS database. IAQG has said the next revision will carry a new number, IA9100, so expect that name to start appearing in supplier quality clauses.
- AS9102 first article inspection. AS9102 defines how a first article is planned, performed and documented, with forms that tie every drawing characteristic to a measured result. Revision C was published in June 2023. Our AS9102 first article inspection guide explains what a complete package looks like and when a new FAI is triggered.
- Material certifications. Mill test reports traceable to the heat or lot, against the specification on the drawing, plus any DFARS specialty metals statement your contract needs.
- Special process certifications. Certs from the coating, heat treat or NDT house naming the specification, and Nadcap status when your quality clauses require it.
- Inspection records. Dimensional reports, CMM output where used, and calibration status of the gauges that measured critical characteristics.
- Certificate of conformance. A signed statement that the parts meet the purchase order and drawing. Every order we deliver ships with one.
If the part is a defense article, ask whether the shop is registered with the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Under 22 CFR part 122, US manufacturers of defense articles generally must register with DDTC, whether or not they export.
Export control, CUI and NDAs
Treat the drawing as the controlled item. Under both the ITAR (22 CFR parts 120 to 130) and the EAR (15 CFR parts 730 to 774), releasing controlled technical data to a foreign person, even inside the United States and even by email or a screen share, can count as an export.
On defense contracts there is a second layer. DFARS 252.204-7012 requires contractors to protect covered defense information, which includes controlled technical information, using the security requirements in NIST SP 800-171, and to flow the clause to subcontractors whose work involves that information. The DFARS rule that brings Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification into contracts took effect on November 10, 2025, so assessment status is now part of supplier selection on many programs.
How we handle it:
- Every supplier signs a flow-down NDA before seeing any customer data.
- Suppliers do not learn who the end customer is unless you approve it.
- No ITAR, EAR controlled or CUI data goes through our website. Controlled files move by secure transfer, to US persons only.
Read our confidentiality and export control page before sending anything marked. If you are not sure how a drawing is classified, your export compliance lead should decide that before it leaves your building.
What drives machining lead time
Machine time is rarely the long pole. Material, outside processing and first article work usually are.
- Material. Common aluminum plate and bar is usually easy to find. Thick titanium, nickel alloy and some stainless product forms can take much longer, and a DFARS melt requirement narrows the sources further.
- Programming and fixturing. A new 5 axis part needs CAM work, fixture design and prove out before the first good piece.
- Outside processes. Each coating, heat treat or NDT step adds transit plus the processor's queue. Parts that need heat treat, then finish machining, then coating stack those queues.
- First article. A full AS9102 FAI with balloon drawing, measurement of every characteristic and documentation takes real inspection hours.
- Drawing questions. Unclear revision status, missing specs or conflicting notes stop a job until someone answers them.
- Quantity and release plan. One prototype, a lot of 25 and a blanket order with scheduled releases are planned very differently.
We do not promise a lead time before a qualified shop has reviewed the package. What we do promise is that a person replies within one business day and rush requests are prioritized.
How to write a machining request that gets a fast, accurate quote
Send a complete package once. Most quote delays come from missing revision letters, material specs or quantities.
- Drawing and 3D model at the released revision, with the revision letter stated in the request
- Material, temper and specification, plus any approved alternates
- Finish and special process callouts, with the governing specifications
- Quantities and price breaks you want quoted, and whether you expect follow-on orders
- Need date, and whether partial deliveries help
- Quality clauses: AS9100, AS9102 FAI, Nadcap processors, source inspection, DFARS clauses
- Export classification or a note that the data is controlled, so it moves by secure transfer
Our aerospace RFQ checklist walks through each item with examples of what goes wrong when it is missing.
What drives the price
Price follows material, setups, tolerances, outside processes, inspection and paperwork, divided across the quantity. A single titanium part with a full FAI carries almost all of its fixed cost in that one piece. The same part at a quantity of 50 spreads programming, fixturing and first article across every unit.
Our aerospace machining cost guide breaks those drivers down and shows which design and requirement choices move the number the most.
Local machining on the Space Coast and across Florida
Many buyers want a shop close enough to visit, witness a first article or pick up parts the same day. We cover local options by area:
- CNC machining in Cape Canaveral
- CNC machining in Titusville
- CNC machining in Melbourne
- Aerospace parts near Kennedy Space Center
- Aerospace parts sourcing across Florida
Local is not always the right answer. If the best qualified shop for a nickel alloy part is out of state, we say so and keep your one point of contact the same.
How Aerospace Sourcing handles a machining request
We are a sourcing service, not a machine shop. We do not run machines ourselves. We take your request, match it to suppliers whose capability and quality system fit the job, and manage it through delivery.
- One quote, one lead time, one point of contact and one purchase order, even when a machinist, a coater and an NDT house are all involved
- Your requirements for certs, FAI, material traceability and special processes are flowed down to each supplier
- We track the job and check the paperwork before it ships
- Every order ships with a certificate of conformance, plus other certs your request requires
We cannot promise that we have a supplier for every job. If we cannot find a qualified fit, we tell you rather than forcing it.
Request a machining quote
If you have a drawing ready, use the CNC machining quote form. The form is preset to machining so your request goes straight to the right review. Include the revision, material spec and quantity and you will hear from a person within one business day. Controlled drawings should follow the steps on our confidentiality page instead of being attached to the form.
Questions
What tolerances can aerospace CNC shops hold?
It depends on the machine, the material, the feature size and how it is measured, so no single number is honest. Capable shops routinely hold tight positional and profile tolerances on aluminum and stainless parts, while thin walled titanium or large flat plates are harder. The better question is which callouts on your drawing are tightest and whether the function needs them. Send the drawing and the shop will tell you which features drive risk before quoting.
Do I need an AS9100 certified shop for every part?
Not always. Flight hardware and parts for most prime contractors usually require it through quality clauses on the purchase order. Test fixtures, prototypes and some ground equipment parts may not. Check your own customer flow-downs first. If your contract requires AS9100 from sub-tier suppliers, tell us in the request and we will only match the job to certified shops, which you can confirm in the IAQG OASIS database.
What is the difference between a first article and a certificate of conformance?
A first article inspection under AS9102 is a detailed record that every drawing characteristic of a new part was measured and met, along with material and process evidence. It is done once for a new part or after changes that trigger it. A certificate of conformance is a signed statement shipped with each order saying the parts meet the purchase order and drawing. Most aerospace orders need the C of C every time and the FAI when triggered.
Can you machine parts from ITAR controlled drawings?
We can source ITAR work, but the drawings never go through our website. Controlled data moves by secure transfer to US persons only, after the supplier has signed a flow-down NDA. The supplier should also be registered with DDTC if it manufactures defense articles. Your export compliance team should confirm the classification before files are released, and our confidentiality page explains the handling steps.
Why does my machined part need an outside processor?
Most aerospace parts need a coating, heat treatment or nondestructive test that machine shops do not perform in house, such as anodize to MIL-PRF-8625, chem film to MIL-DTL-5541 or passivation to AMS 2700. Many primes also require those processors to hold Nadcap accreditation. We coordinate the processors under the same order so you still get one purchase order and one cert package.
How fast can I get a quote?
A person replies within one business day, and rush requests are prioritized. The quote itself depends on how complete the package is and how many processes the part needs. A drawing at the released revision, a material specification, quantities, finish callouts and quality requirements are the five things that most often decide whether a quote comes back quickly or stalls on questions.
Related
Sources
- NQA: AS9100:2016 (Revision D) published
- NASA OSMA: Status of the development of IA9100
- IAQG OASIS database of certified suppliers
- ANSI Webstore: SAE AS9102C:2023 First Article Inspection Requirements
- Net-Inspect: AS9102 Rev B vs Rev C
- Cornell LII: DFARS 252.225-7009 specialty metals
- PRI: The Nadcap program
- GA-ASI special process list (MIL-PRF-8625, MIL-DTL-5541 references)
- SAE: AMS 2700 Passivation of Corrosion Resistant Steels
- eCFR: 22 CFR part 122, Registration of Manufacturers and Exporters
- University of Pittsburgh: Export definitions under EAR 734 and ITAR
- DoD Office of Small Business Programs: Safeguarding Covered Defense Information, The Basics
- Federal Register: DFARS CMMC final rule, effective Nov. 10, 2025
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