5 Things You Need to Know about Aerospace Manufacturing Challenges

1. What are the challenges facing aerospace manufacturers in 2023?

The most common issue is lack of skilled machinists. With the workforce straining to meet capacity, demand for aerospace components is returning close to pre-pandemic levels.

Many shops aren’t receiving clear customer forecasting of incoming work, so they must stay flexible and responsive in their setups and maintain capacity.

2. What attributes are aerospace manufacturers seeking in machine tools?

Five-axis machines, because of the geometry of the most common components. Those machines achieve complex shapes and lower manufacturing costs by reducing a five- or six-step process to one or two.

Our customers want machine tools with the speed and performance necessary to machine aluminum; the torque and rigidity necessary to machine hard metals; or the versatility to shift between hard and soft materials.

3. How does Methods Machine Tools support its customers to meet these challenges?

We focus on providing the best local service and support in the industry, whether directly or through leading North American distributors, backed up by Methods’ national service team. We offer a full range of products well-suited for our aerospace customers, from a straightforward 3-axis vertical machine to the top machine tool – Yasda.

4. Why is Yasda positioned so well for making aerospace parts?

It starts with accuracy and geometric stability. This is critical for components where the angular errors and hard materials are most demanding. Precision can be the difference between a good part and a costly, scrapped part after a few hundred hours of machining. Yasda uses massive cast iron components for the bed and uprights, with either boxways or linear roller ways attached to hand-scraped precision way seats. This combination helps absorb cutting forces and vibration created by machining hard materials and super alloys. Yasda’s unique spindle design, with typical runout less than a micron, offers extreme versatility in handling a wide range of materials.

5. With air travel on track to surpass pre-COVID-19 levels and defense spending at a high, what can manufacturers do to keep up with demand?

In most situations, more accurate, higher-quality machine tools will make you more money. Yasda are process changers. The highest precision makes it possible to achieve tight tolerances of a few tenths or less, with less operator intervention and in less time, with few or no secondary operations.

Invest in automation, even the most basic, such as a good pallet changer, to have multiple setups ready for variable workloads. The Yasda PX30i has built-in automation with a 33-pallet magazine, a 323-position tool changer, and enough features to let you run a staffed first shift and unattended on nights and weekends. Differentiate your business from your competition and be a valuable partner for your customers!