No industry relies quite so heavily on precision, compliance and safety as Aerospace. Stringent industry standards ensure flight safety, and rigorous testing, documentation and aircraft certifications confirm material reliability.
Maintaining these standards for safety and consistency is crucial and relies on a complex and global supply chain. Central Wire and Loos & Co. Inc. are proud to be leading suppliers to the Aerospace industry, with major Aerospace corporations trusting the quality of our Wire and Rope and Assembly products.
Learn more below about how this industry maintains a sustainable and successful supply chain, supported by the efficient, custom manufacturing that we provide.
Aerospace Supply Chain Tiers
From raw materials to a finished aircraft, there are many steps required to ensure safety and high performance in the skies. The supply chain in this industry can be separated into three tiers, each of which must follow the stringent standards for safety and compliance.
Tier 1 are the manufacturers of major systems, whether it be landing gear, aircraft engines, or other flight control systems. These intricate and specialized components play a critical role of flight safety and performance, which is why only select companies are certified to manufacture them.
Second tier Aerospace manufacturers supply major structural and mechanical components, including tires, brakes and body panels. This tier creates structural integrity, while providing the durability to handle harsh environmental conditions during flight. Crucially, tier 2 manufacturers require premium raw materials that are Aerospace certified to meet safety standards.
Our Group of Companies falls into the category of tier 3 suppliers. Just as critical to the safety and performance of an aircraft, this tier includes smaller hardware pieces, fittings, hydraulic lines, and the thousands of smaller components that secure larger parts in place and support flight control operations. Entire hydraulic systems or jet engines can be compromised by just one faulty fitting, emphasizing the importance of their performance.
Custom Solutions
The Aerospace industry relies heavily on highly customizable manufacturing, with precision components that control every takeoff, landing and everything in between. The fasteners, nuts, bolts and more that keep everything together must meet tight tolerances and exact dimensions.
Subtractive manufacturing is one of the primary processes that offers full control to the size and shape of Aerospace components. Our Centerless Grinding Bar Stock capabilities create an improved surface finish while meeting precise customer requirements. As well, our CNC Machining capabilities including Milling and Turning give us full precision and high accuracy that meets Aerospace standards.
Flight control applications also require precision, custom products to ensure mid-air alterations and throttle controls are seamless and safe. Loos and Company’s aircraft control Cable Assemblies are custom engineered to meet Aerospace specifications and manufactured with premium materials to ensure durability.
Sustainability Concerns
A focus within the Aerospace supply chain is finding innovative ways to limit carbon emissions, both in manufacturing processes and during flight. Due to the extensive manufacturing process and international flight demand, Aviation accounts for approximately 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, according to the IEA. With the push for net-zero emissions by 2025, Aviation is one of the critical industries where emissions must be lowered.
Aerospace manufacturing processes have been adapting in recent years to improve energy efficiency. Using Renewable Energy sources to power large production facilities, as well as energy recovery systems which capture and reuse wasted heat are helping limit environmental harm. The use of sustainable and recyclable materials is also helping to limit waste and extend the working life of Aerospace components.
In the skies, planes are seeing plenty of functionality changes which limit the emissions on a given flight. Advanced aircraft design, such as improved aerodynamics for fuel efficiency, and alternative biofuels are changing the way aircraft are designed and powered.
For a deeper dive into Aerospace sustainability, and how new manufacturing strategies will limit carbon emissions, check out our in-depth blog on the topic here!
Our Aerospace Expertise and Capabilities
Leveraging over 65 years of manufacturing experience and expertise, our Group of Companies is established as a global leader in Aerospace and Defense manufacturing. Our extensive list of certifications, approvals and partners speaks to the durability, strength and reliability of our Aerospace products.
Explore some of the standout, domestically manufactured products and services we provide to mission critical operations below.
Custom Cable Assemblies
With the industry’s largest Assembly inventory, Loos and Company’s Assembly capabilities are unmatched. The depth of our Cable and Fitting selection allows for full customization, short lead times, and precision engineered Cable Assemblies that are certified for mission critical application.
We can cross reference all NSN’s, part numbers or drawing numbers from any design activity, offering full transparency of our manufacturing process. This includes Army, Navy and OEM manufacturers. Avoiding unnecessary downtime while investing in precision quality is made easy with Loos & Co’s custom Aircraft Control Assemblies.
Precision Machining
As mentioned earlier, part of our Aerospace manufacturing expertise is our precision CNC Machining and Bar Stock products. These product lines are available in a variety of alloys, including Stainless Steel, Nickel, Red Metals and more.
Our bars are manufactured up to 0.750 inches to your exact specifications, while our CNC parts can maintain tolerances as small as 0.001 inches. Both product lines are manufactured at AS9100 certified facilities and are made available with fast lead times.
Quality Testing
The stringent safety standards of this industry require quality tested products. Our Non-Destructive Testing capabilities ensure any flaws or defects are prevented before shipment, and that quality, durability and effectiveness are prioritized.
We notable offer FPI (Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection), which is a method of NDT that highlights leaks, cracks or other defects with the use of a fluorescent chemical shown under UV light. Even the subtlest surface roughness shows during this process, meaning only the highest quality components are sent out to our customers.
Investing in Superior Aerospace Manufacturing
In this industry, our superior material lineup, precision and custom manufacturing capabilities, and quality testing are unmatched. Choosing us means choosing a supplier trusted by many of the world’s largest Aerospace corporations.
To unlock our capabilities and kickstart your next project with our industry leading expertise and products, Request a Quote with us below!
