How Alard Engineering Is Preparing for Increased Demand in the Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry was hit hard by the pandemic. From jet setters who fly in commercial planes to machinists who manufacture aerospace parts, we’re all interconnected—and we all felt the effects of this stagnation.

But as life slowly returns to normal and people are beginning to travel again, aerospace production is finally ramping up! This increase in demand is certainly exciting. But not all machine shops are equipped for a massive scale in production. To thrive in an accelerating field, shops must maintain exceptional talent and increase efficiency to maintain high quality and on-time delivery. 

As a leading aerospace manufacturing supplier, Alard Engineering consistently meets industry challenges with proven solutions.

Alard Engineering Is Preparing for Growing Aerospace Demand

Aerospace parts may be small, but their function is critical. We can’t allow an increase in demand to affect the quality of parts made for high-performance aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Alard Engineering even sends parts to space, where there’s no cutting corners when it comes to precision and accuracy.

How do we meet a high demand for aerospace parts without compromising on quality? We combine our precision machining expertise with proactive thinking and efficient operations. 

Capacity planning.

As soon as we anticipated expanding capacity in the aerospace industry, we invested in tools and resources to help us succeed. We’re currently implementing a new ERP system to proactively manage our busy schedule and drastically increase our oversight of operations. This software will allow us to closely monitor our supply chain, ramp up second shift and weekend operations, and much more.

Experience with aerospace materials. 

Unlike other shops that dabble in making aerospace parts, we’re a dedicated aerospace machine shop. We specialize in sourcing and machining specialty materials like Inconel, Monel, high-grade nickel, and titanium that are known for being extremely difficult to work with. 

Quickturn quoting.

Our quickturn quoting software stores pricing information so we don't have to reach out to individual vendors each time. We turn around quotes for customers in less than 24 hours, regardless of how many quotes we have coming in. 

Complex machining abilities.

We have 5-axis machines and other high-grade CNC machining equipment capable of producing the most complex aerospace parts. We also invest in programming and operational efficiency to ensure our customers receive high-quality parts on time—no matter how busy our shop is.

Balanced customer portfolio. 

We work with aerospace customers in a variety of different sectors, including defense, space, and commercial. Having a diverse customer portfolio helps our business remain balanced and continue to thrive even in the face of uncertainty. If one sector experiences disruptions, we never risk falling under. 

Focus on the future.

We’re always looking ahead to plan for future needs. Currently, we’re observing a shift toward prototypes in the space sector, so we’re aligning our focus to meet this demand. Global supply chain disruptions and shortages are a real area of concern right now in manufacturing, so we’re closely tracking material pricing and sourcing. We maintain DFARS compliance to ensure we’re sourcing from affordable, low-risk locations. 

Continuous improvement.

Innovation and improvement is inherently about taking risks. And when you take risks, sometimes things don’t work out exactly as you intended. Adaptation is a process, and we know not every change we make will be implemented perfectly from the start.

But we’re committed to continuously improving to be a better engineering partner to our customers. That dedication to growth and expansion, even in the face of obstacles, may be the thing that truly sets us apart.

When you need precision CNC machining for aerospace parts, don’t rely on just any machine shop. Work with a forward-thinking team that specializes in this industry. Request a quote from Alard Engineering today!