Sourcing Aerospace Tooling, Jigs and Fixtures
Buy aerospace tooling the way you buy flight parts: a released tool drawing, a stated use (production aid or acceptance media), a tool inspection report, a calibration or verification interval you set, and clear ownership marking. Aerospace Sourcing matches tooling jobs to qualified toolmakers, flows those requirements down and checks the records before delivery.
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What aerospace tooling sourcing covers
It covers the hardware that makes, holds, checks and moves parts without becoming part of the product: assembly jigs, drill fixtures, check fixtures and gauges, bond and cure tools, machining fixtures and handling fixtures. The tool is rarely the expensive part of a program, but a bad one quietly puts the same error into every part it touches.
| Tool type | What it does | What the buyer should care about |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly jig | Locates details in their final relationship while they are fastened, bonded or welded | Datums that match the assembly drawing, access for fastening, and how the assembly is released from the jig |
| Drill fixture or drill plate | Positions holes with hardened bushings so every part gets the same pattern | Bushing type and replacement, hole position tolerance on the tool, and coordination with mating parts |
| Check fixture or gauge | Accepts or rejects a part feature: contour, hole pattern, trim line, thread or size | Whether it is inspection media, and therefore calibrated or verified on a schedule |
| Bond and cure tool | Holds a laminate or bonded assembly through cure in an oven or autoclave | Thermal expansion, vacuum integrity, heat-up behavior and surface finish |
| Machining fixture | Holds a part on the machine for one or more operations | Repeatable location, clamping that does not distort thin walls, and probing points |
| Handling fixture | Supports, rotates or transports parts and assemblies on the floor | Load rating, contact surfaces that protect the part, and whether it ever lifts |
Most tooling is one-off, built to a tool drawing that is often less mature than the part drawing. That gap is where schedule slips happen, so the sections below focus on what to settle before a toolmaker starts cutting.
First decide: production aid or inspection media
State on the RFQ whether the tool will be used to accept product. If a fixture, gauge or template decides whether a part conforms, it is measuring equipment in your quality system and needs identification, a verification method and a recall interval, the same as a height gauge or a CMM.
AS9100 requires an organization to keep a register of its monitoring and measuring equipment, to calibrate or verify it at specified intervals or before use against standards traceable to national or international standards, and to have a recall process. When a device is found out of tolerance, the organization has to judge whether earlier measurements are still valid. A calibration provider's summary of the clause notes that AS9100 does not set the interval length; the owner of the equipment defines it and can adjust it from history, criticality and use.
That is why the interval belongs to you as the buyer or tool owner, not to the toolmaker. Tell the supplier what interval and method you will apply so the tool is designed with verification in mind: reachable reference surfaces, tooling balls or targets for a laser tracker, and features a CMM can probe. A production aid that never accepts product still needs to be checked before first use, but it does not need to live on the calibration register.
Our inspection and metrology reference covers the measuring methods toolmakers use to certify a tool.
Have a part like this?Send it in under a minute. A person replies within 1 business day.Assembly jigs and drill fixtures
An assembly jig or drill fixture is only as good as its relationship to the part datums. Ask for a tool drawing that references the part drawing datums directly, so a hole located by the fixture can be traced back to the datum reference frame the designer used.
- Locators and indexing. Pins, pads and stops should locate the detail parts the same way the drawing does. A fixture that locates off a convenient edge instead of the datum feature will produce parts that measure fine on the fixture and do not fit the next assembly.
- Drill bushings. Hardened, replaceable bushings keep the hole pattern repeatable. Ask how worn bushings are identified and replaced, and whether a replaced bushing triggers a re-check of the tool.
- Coordination. When two parts must share a hole pattern, the strongest approach is one master or one set of coordinated tools for both. If two different shops build the mating fixtures, name a common master or a common digital definition and require both tools to be certified against it.
- Release and access. The assembly has to come out of the jig after fastening or welding. Confirm that clamps, pins and removable details let the operator do that without springing the part.
For machined or welded details that go into the jig, our CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication pages explain what to require from those suppliers.
Check fixtures and gauges
A check fixture should come with a dimensional report that proves the fixture itself conforms to its drawing, at a tolerance tight enough to judge the part. Without that report, a part accepted on the fixture is accepted on faith.
Prime contractor first article guidance treats designed tooling as legitimate inspection media when it is identified. GKN Aerospace's guideline on common AS9102 mistakes tells suppliers to record either the tool identification number for specifically designed tooling, or the type of qualified tooling used, in column 10 of Form 3. A Lockheed Martin based first article guideline (FAI_STD-001, revision L, March 2020) adds that the FAI can be satisfied by a dimensional report of the check fixture being used as the means of product acceptance, so long as the fixture validates the critical features. That only works if the fixture was certified first.
- Attribute gauges. Go and no-go plugs, thread gauges, radius gauges and pin gauges are usually commercial items with certificates. Ask for the certificate and the class or tolerance grade.
- Contour and trim checks. Contour boards, trim templates and gap gauges are part specific. State the gap or feeler tolerance used for acceptance on the tool drawing.
- Functional gauges. A gauge that checks a hole pattern by fit should be designed from the geometric tolerances on the part drawing, at maximum material condition where the drawing calls for it.
Our first article inspection guide covers the AS9102 forms where tool numbers are recorded.
Bond and cure tooling
For tools that go into an oven or autoclave, specify the cure cycle the tool must survive, the vacuum integrity it must hold and the expansion behavior you need, not just the shape. A cure tool that is dimensionally perfect at room temperature can still make an out-of-tolerance part at cure temperature.
- Thermal expansion. Carpenter Technology describes Invar 36 as having a rate of thermal expansion about one tenth that of carbon steel up to 400 °F (204 °C), which is why it is the common choice for high temperature carbon fiber cures. Aluminum expands much more than a carbon laminate, so aluminum tools for those cures need compensation in the tool geometry.
- Vacuum integrity. Ask for a leak check of the tool surface and any welded or bonded seams before first use, with the method and the allowable leak rate stated.
- Heat-up behavior. Heavy tools lag the air temperature. Ask for a thermal survey of a new tool with thermocouples at the slowest and fastest locations so the cure cycle can be set from real data.
- Surface and release. State the surface finish the part needs and how the tool will be sealed and released, because that surface is copied onto every part.
Our aerospace composites hub covers who owns cure tooling as part of a composite part quote, and the composites fabrication reference explains the cure processes the tool has to support. Invar itself is covered on our controlled expansion alloys page.
Handling fixtures, dollies and rotation stands
A handling fixture carries flight hardware even if it never flies, so give it a rated load, contact surfaces that will not mark or contaminate the part, and a proof of that rating. State whether the fixture will ever be lifted with hardware installed.
If it will be lifted, it is no longer only a handling fixture. Below-the-hook lifting devices fall under ASME BTH-1 and ASME B30.20, with proof load testing and marking, and work at NASA sites adds NASA-STD-8719.9. Our ground support equipment hub covers those rules, and our page on lifting points and hoist rings covers the hardware.
For fixtures that stay on the floor, ask for casters or feet rated with margin, locks that hold on the floor you actually have, and pads or liners compatible with your cleanliness requirements. Fixtures that enter a cleanroom need materials and finishes that will not shed particles, and that choice belongs on the drawing, not in a phone call.
Tooling materials and trade-offs
Choose the tool material from how many parts the tool must make, the temperature it sees and how stable it must stay. Cost per tool is rarely the deciding factor once those three are set.
| Material | Where it fits | Trade-offs to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Tooling board (polyurethane or epoxy block) | Masters, patterns, prototype layup tools, trim and check templates for low quantities | Fast to machine and cheap to change, but limited temperature capability and wear life; confirm the board's rated service temperature against your cure |
| Aluminum plate | Machining fixtures, light assembly jigs, room temperature or low temperature cure tools | Light and quick to machine; high expansion relative to carbon composites and softer locating surfaces that wear |
| Carbon and alloy steel | Drill fixtures, heavy jigs, gauges, handling structures | Stiff and durable, can be hardened at wear points; heavy and needs corrosion protection |
| Invar 36 | High temperature composite cure tools where expansion must stay close to the laminate | Low expansion and long life; expensive, slow to source in large sections and harder to machine than aluminum |
| Composite tooling | Large layup tools and moderate rate production | Expansion close to the part and lighter than metal; shorter life and needs its own master to make |
Our pages on aluminum alloys and stainless and specialty steels cover the metal grades toolmakers use. Large tool bodies may be machined at a different shop than the one that finishes them; see large part machining.
Tool proofing and first article of the tool
Require two separate proofs: a tool inspection report showing the tool conforms to its own drawing, and a tool proof showing the tool makes a conforming part. The first proves the toolmaker built what was drawn; the second proves the drawing was right.
- Tool inspection. Dimensional report of locators, bushings, contour surfaces and reference features against the tool drawing, with the measuring equipment identified.
- Tool proof. A first part made on the tool and fully inspected against the part drawing. For a check fixture, a correlation study that compares fixture results with CMM results on the same parts is a strong addition.
- Tool identification. A permanent tool number, revision and owner on the tool, matching the tool records.
Tooling changes also reach the parts. Both the GKN guideline and the Lockheed Martin based guideline list a change in tooling, along with changes in source, process, inspection method, location and material, among the events that call for a new full or partial first article when they can affect fit, form or function. Some customers go further and treat replacement of special tooling as an automatic trigger. Put your rule on the PO so a replaced fixture does not slip through as a routine repair. Our records and change control reference covers how to keep tool revisions tied to part records.
Calibration intervals and ISO/IEC 17025
Set the calibration or verification interval yourself and say who performs it. When the tool or gauge goes out for calibration, require a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 with the measurement in its scope.
ISO/IEC 17025, in its 2017 edition, is the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. ISO does not accredit laboratories; accreditation bodies do, and accreditation bodies that work with US calibration labs include A2LA and ANAB. Under the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement, peer evaluated accreditation bodies accept each other's accredited results, which ILAC describes as removing the need to calibrate again across borders. Accreditation applies to a defined scope, so check the accreditation body's published scope for the lab, and the ILAC signatory search for the body, not just the logo on the certificate.
- Interval. Start from the gauge maker's recommendation or your existing system, then shorten it for heavy use or a history of drift, or lengthen it with data. Write the interval on the tool record.
- As found and as left data. Ask for both. As found data is what tells you whether parts accepted since the last calibration are still good.
- Uncertainty. Accredited certificates report measurement uncertainty. Compare it with the tolerance the tool is judging.
- Large fixtures. Big check fixtures are usually verified in place with a laser tracker or portable CMM. Specify the reference targets and the verification method on the tool drawing so the result is repeatable.
Ownership, marking and government property
Decide who owns the tool before it is built and write it on the PO: who holds title, how the tool is marked, where it is stored, and what happens to it if the work moves. Tooling ownership disputes almost always start with a PO that said nothing.
Customer-owned tooling. If you pay for the tool, say that it is your property, require a tag or permanent mark with your tool number and owner, require that it is used only for your work, and require notice before it is modified, moved or scrapped. Ask for a photo and the tool record at delivery.
Government property. On government contracts the rules come from the contract. The FAR defines special tooling as jigs, dies, fixtures, molds, patterns, taps, gauges and their components that are so specialized that, without substantial modification, their use is limited to particular supplies, parts or services; special test equipment is defined separately. FAR clause 52.245-1, Government Property (September 2021), covers property the government furnishes and property the contractor acquires or fabricates when the government takes title. Among other things it requires the contractor to identify government property as government owned with stamps, tags or marks, keep records that give a complete and auditable trail, perform periodic inventories, and report losses.
Whether a particular fixture is government property, and how title passes, depends on your contract and its clauses. Confirm it with your contracting officer or property administrator before the tool is ordered, and flow the marking and record requirements to the toolmaker. Our defense contractors page covers other flow-downs that come with government work.
What to put on the tooling RFQ
These lines let several toolmakers quote the same tool and let you accept it when it arrives:
- Tool drawing or model at a released revision, plus the part drawing and revision the tool serves
- Tool type and use: production aid, inspection media, cure tool or handling fixture
- Material, and any restriction such as no aluminum on high temperature cure tools
- Tool tolerances, or a tolerance ratio to the part tolerance, and the datum scheme
- For cure tools: cure cycle, vacuum leak check method and limit, and thermal survey requirement
- For handling fixtures: rated load, proof test, and whether the fixture will ever be lifted
- Tool inspection report and tool proof requirements, including who inspects the proof part
- Calibration or verification method and interval, and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for outside calibration
- Ownership, tool number, marking method and storage, and any FAR 52.245-1 or prime contract property clauses
- Quantity of tools, spares such as replacement bushings, and need date
- Export control status of the tool drawing and part data
Our RFQ builder turns these lines into a structured request, and the PO quality flow-down template gives clause wording for tooling ownership and records. Tool drawings on defense and launch programs are often controlled technical data; see confidentiality and the controlled programs process, which keeps controlled files with US persons.
How Aerospace Sourcing handles a tooling job
We match the tool to a toolmaker whose machines, materials and inspection fit it, flow down your use, inspection, proofing, calibration and ownership requirements, and review the tool inspection report and records before shipment. We do not build tools ourselves, and we do not promise that a toolmaker is available for every tool or date.
- One quote, one lead time, one point of contact and one purchase order, even when the tool body, hardened details and outside calibration come from different sources
- Tooling bought alongside the parts it makes, so tool proof and part first article are planned together; see build to print
- A certificate of conformance with every order, plus the inspection, calibration and material certificates your request requires
A person replies within one business day, and rush requests are prioritized. Every supplier signs a flow-down NDA before seeing files, and suppliers do not learn the end customer unless you approve. If the tool supports an electronics line, such as a test fixture for board assemblies, our PCB assembly page covers the build it supports.
Request a tooling quote
Send the tool drawing, the part it serves and how the tool will be used through the tooling request form. It is preset for tooling so it asks whether the tool is inspection media, how it must be proofed and who will own it, which are the answers that decide which toolmakers can quote and whether their prices compare. A person will reply within one business day.
Send the job. A person replies within 1 business day.
Part, quantity and date are enough to start. Drawings and the mutual NDA follow by reply, and controlled programs never send technical data through this site.
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Questions
Does a check fixture need to be calibrated?
If the fixture is used to accept product, treat it as measuring equipment: give it an identification number, a verification method and an interval, and put it on your recall system. AS9100 requires calibration or verification at specified intervals or before use, traceable to national or international standards. A fixture that only holds parts and never decides conformance still needs a check before first use, but usually not a recurring calibration.
Who sets the calibration interval for a gauge or fixture?
The owner of the equipment does. AS9100 requires defined intervals but does not set their length, so you or your quality team decide them, often starting from the manufacturer's recommendation and adjusting with use and as found history. Put the interval and method on the PO or tool record so the toolmaker designs the tool to be verified and the calibration lab knows what to report.
Does changing or replacing a fixture require a new first article?
Often, yes. Prime contractor guidelines based on AS9102 list a change in tooling among the events that call for a full or partial first article when it can affect fit, form or function, and some customers treat replacement of special tooling as an automatic trigger. State your rule on the PO so a replaced or reworked fixture is not handled as routine maintenance.
What is special tooling under the FAR?
FAR 2.101 defines special tooling as jigs, dies, fixtures, molds, patterns, taps, gauges and their components that are so specialized that, without substantial modification, their use is limited to particular supplies, parts or services. It excludes special test equipment, machine tools and similar capital items. Whether a given tool is government property depends on your contract, so confirm with your contracting officer or property administrator.
Should a composite cure tool be Invar or aluminum?
For high temperature carbon fiber cures where dimensions matter, Invar is the usual choice because its expansion is roughly one tenth that of carbon steel up to about 400 °F, close to the laminate. Aluminum costs less and machines faster but expands much more, so it suits prototypes, lower temperature cures or geometry that has been compensated for growth. Tooling board suits masters and short prototype runs.
What should a tool inspection report include?
It should show each locator, bushing, contour surface and reference feature measured against the tool drawing, with the actual value, the tolerance and the equipment used, plus the tool number and revision. Add a tool proof: a first part made on the tool and inspected against the part drawing. For check fixtures, a comparison of fixture results with CMM results on the same parts is a strong addition.
Related
Sources
- Acquisition.gov: FAR 52.245-1 Government Property (Sep 2021)
- Acquisition.gov: FAR 2.101 Definitions (special tooling, special test equipment)
- Micro Precision: AS9100 calibration requirements
- GKN Aerospace: AS9102 FAIR common mistakes guideline
- Sonaca: AS9102 FAI Report Guideline FAI_STD-001 Rev. L (March 2020)
- Carpenter Technology: Invar 36 alloy
- ILAC: the ILAC MRA and signatories
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