How to Source Aerospace Machined Parts
Aerospace machining RFQ checklist: AS9100, AMS material specs, flow-downs, approved special processes, AS9102 first article, traceability, ITAR and DFARS.
369 shops tagged AS9100 among 5,104 CNC machining companies in the Noramark directory
An aerospace part is a machined part with a paper trail. The cutting is often ordinary; the quality system behind it is not: AS9100 certification, material bought to AMS or equivalent specs with certs traced to the heat, special processes done by approved and often Nadcap-accredited sources, an AS9102 first article, and customer flow-down requirements on every purchase order. A shop without that system cannot take the job, however good its machines are.
A good aerospace RFQ states the drawing revision, the material and process specs, the customer and its flow-down clauses, the first article and inspection requirements, and any export control or domestic-source restrictions up front. Those items decide which shops can bid at all, and they often cost as much as the machining. Leaving them for the purchase order produces quotes that are padded for unknowns or simply wrong.
RFQ checklist
15 things to settle on the drawing or in the request before you ask for aerospace machined part quotes. Print it and tick it off against the print, or copy it into the RFQ.
Requirements that decide who can bid
Quality system required: AS9100 certification, or ISO 9001 with flow-downs
Most primes and tier-one suppliers require AS9100 for flight hardware. Stating it first keeps shops that cannot fulfill the order from spending time on a quote.
Export control: ITAR or EAR status of the technical data, and U.S.-person handling if ITAR applies
ITAR-controlled data may go only to shops registered with the State Department (DDTC) that keep it from foreign persons. Confirm that before sending anything controlled.
Domestic-source clauses: DFARS specialty metals (252.225-7009), Buy American, or country-of-melt requirements
Specialty metals clauses cover titanium, most alloy and stainless steels and nickel alloys. The shop must buy compliant material and keep the melt certs.
The end customer and its quality clauses (the prime's purchase order codes) that flow down
Flow-downs add source inspection, record retention, FOD control, counterfeit-part prevention and approved-processor lists, and each has a cost.
Material and special processes
Material by procurement spec, form and temper: for example 7075-T7351 plate to AMS 4078, 7075 bar to AMS-QQ-A-225/9, Ti-6Al-4V bar to AMS 4928
The spec, not just the alloy, governs chemistry, properties and testing, and the certs must show it. An equivalent spec needs your written approval.
Special processes by spec, and whether customer-approved or Nadcap-accredited sources are required: heat treat (AMS 2759, AMS 2770), anodize (MIL-PRF-8625), chem film (MIL-DTL-5541), passivation (AMS 2700), shot peen (AMS 2430 or 2432), penetrant (ASTM E1417)
Approved-source rules limit which vendors the shop can use and add lead time. Each process lot also carries its own cert.
Part marking: method (ink, laser, vibro-etch, bag and tag), location and content (part number, revision, serial or lot)
Marking methods are often restricted on fatigue-critical surfaces, and marking in the wrong place or way is a rejection.
Geometry and inspection
Drawing and model revision, and which one governs (model-based definition or drawing)
Many aerospace parts are defined by the model, with the drawing covering notes and critical tolerances. The quote must reference the exact revisions.
Key characteristics and critical dimensions, and their control requirements (AS9103 variation management)
Key characteristics may need SPC or 100% inspection, which changes the inspection plan and the price.
First article inspection per AS9102: full or partial, forms, and who approves it
A full AS9102 first article on a complex part can take a day or more of CMM time and paperwork, and must be redone after design, process or location changes.
Production inspection: CMM reports, sampling plan and any customer-specified gauging
Report every part or a sample? The answer changes inspection hours per lot.
Edge break, burr and surface finish requirements
Aerospace drawings often call a specific edge break everywhere, such as 0.13-0.38 mm (0.005-0.015"). That is handwork on every edge, and the shop has to count it.
Traceability and delivery
Certification package: material certs, process certs, certificate of conformance, first article report and customer forms
Assembling the package takes time per lot. Name every document so none is added later.
Lot and serial traceability from each part back to the material heat and every process lot
Traceability means keeping heat lots separate through every step. Aerospace shops do it daily; general shops find it disruptive.
Quantity, delivery schedule and program length (one-off or long-term agreement)
Aerospace volumes are low and repeat for years. Shops price a long-term agreement, and material bought ahead for it, differently from a one-off.
What to send with the RFQ
- The drawing and model at the stated revision, with a parts list for assemblies.
- The purchase order quality clauses and flow-downs that will apply.
- Material and process specs, and the approved-processor list if the customer has one.
- The export classification of the data; send ITAR data only through a channel the shop has confirmed it can receive.
- Quantity, delivery schedule and first article requirements.
Lead times
| Prototype or first parts | 4-8 weeks for first articles, driven by certified material and outside special processes; titanium and nickel alloy bar can add weeks. |
|---|---|
| Production or repeat orders | 6-12 weeks for repeat lots with special processes. Mill lead times for aerospace plate and forgings can be much longer, so long-term agreements often stock material. |
Typical of U.S. job shops, from order or approved drawing to shipment; confirm with the shop for your part.
What drives the cost
- Material bought to aerospace specs with full certs, and titanium or nickel alloys that cut slowly.
- Special processes through approved sources, each with a lot charge and lead time.
- First article inspection and the documentation package.
- Multi-axis machining of thin walls and deep pockets in aluminum and titanium.
- Key characteristics that need SPC or 100% inspection.
- Small lots with full traceability, where setup and paperwork dominate.
- Flow-downs such as source inspection or special packaging.
Common mistakes
- Sending ITAR-controlled drawings to shops that have not confirmed registration and U.S.-person handling.
- Leaving flow-down clauses out of the RFQ and adding them on the purchase order.
- Naming the alloy without the procurement spec and temper.
- Not saying whether special processes must go to approved or Nadcap-accredited sources.
- Underestimating the time for the AS9102 first article and customer approval.
Questions to ask the shop
- Is your AS9100 certificate current, and what is its scope?
- Are you registered with DDTC, and how do you control technical data?
- Which special processors do you use, and are they Nadcap accredited and on our customer's approved list?
- Can you buy DFARS-compliant material and keep the melt certs?
- Who performs your AS9102 first articles, and on what equipment?
- What were your on-time delivery and escape rates over the last 12 months?
Typical processes
Typical materials
Charts and calculators
Frequently asked questions
- Does every aerospace part need an AS9100 supplier?
- Not every part, but most flight-hardware purchase orders from primes and tier-one suppliers require it, and many flow it down to machining suppliers. Ground support equipment and tooling often do not. The purchase order quality clauses decide.
- What is an AS9102 first article inspection?
- A documented check that the first production part meets every drawing requirement, with material and process certifications and any functional tests, recorded on the AS9102 forms. It is repeated after a change in design, process, manufacturing location or tooling, or after a production lapse of two years.
- What is the difference between ITAR and EAR for machined parts?
- ITAR covers defense articles and technical data on the U.S. Munitions List: the shop needs DDTC registration and must keep the data from foreign persons without authorization. EAR covers commercial and dual-use items, and most commercial aircraft parts fall under it, often with a low-control classification. The owner of the design classifies it, not the shop.
Build the RFQ: attach the print and this checklist
Attach the drawing (PDF) and the model (STEP), and put your answers to the checklist in the description. A Noramark sourcing specialist matches the request with U.S. shops that make aerospace machined parts and contacts you within 1 business day.
