// RESOURCES — AEROSPACE REQUIREMENTS
Aerospace CNC Machining Requirements & Standards
The quality systems, documentation, tolerances, and materials behind flight-critical and aerospace-grade machined parts — and how to specify them.
Aerospace is one of the most demanding environments a machined part can serve. Beyond tight tolerances, aerospace buyers carry obligations around quality systems, material traceability, export control, and inspection documentation. This guide explains the requirements aerospace customers typically face, how they shape a part, and how Rigid Concepts — an ISO 9001:2015–certified, ITAR-registered, veteran-owned machine shop and licensed engineering firm — approaches aerospace work.
Quality systems: AS9100 in context
AS9100 is the aerospace industry's quality-management standard, built on ISO 9001 with added requirements for risk management, configuration control, counterfeit-part prevention, and first-article inspection. Many prime contractors and OEMs require their suppliers to be AS9100 certified, or flow down equivalent quality clauses through their purchase orders.
Rigid Concepts maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification — the foundation AS9100 is built upon — and is ITAR registered. AS9100 itself is an aerospace requirement that primes and OEMs may flow down to their suppliers; where a program requires a specific certification we don't hold, we'll tell you up front rather than imply otherwise.
ITAR and export control
Many aerospace and defense parts are governed by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which control the export of defense articles and technical data. Working with an ITAR-registered shop matters because drawings, models, and specifications for controlled items must be handled by U.S. persons and kept within a compliant environment.
- Rigid Concepts is ITAR registered, so controlled technical data stays in a compliant U.S. facility.
- Technical data is access-controlled; we treat customer drawings and models as confidential.
- For a deeper explanation, see our overview of defense machining and the related blog post on ITAR compliance.
First-article inspection (FAI) and traceability
Aerospace programs commonly require a First Article Inspection Report (FAIR) — a documented verification that the first production part meets every drawing requirement before the run proceeds. AS9102 is the standard form most often referenced. Alongside FAI, buyers expect full material and process traceability:
- Material certifications (mill certs) tying each lot of stock back to its heat/melt source.
- Certificates of conformance for outside processes such as heat treat, plating, and anodize.
- Documented inspection results — often CMM data — against the drawing's critical features.
- Lot and serialization records so a finished part can be traced through every operation.
Our quality & inspection capability supports the dimensional verification and documentation aerospace parts require, using calibrated metrology equipment maintained on a defined schedule.
Tolerances and surface finish
Aerospace prints frequently combine tight linear tolerances with GD&T controls — true position, profile, flatness, and concentricity — on the same part. Fine surface finishes are common on sealing and bearing surfaces. Holding these reliably is exactly where 5-axis capability and disciplined process control matter. See our tolerance guide for what's achievable and how it affects cost and lead time.
Materials: titanium, Inconel, and aluminum
Aerospace work leans heavily on a few material families, each with its own machining challenges:
| Aluminum (e.g. 6061, 7075) | Light, machinable, widely used for structure and housings — aluminum machining. |
|---|---|
| Titanium (e.g. Ti-6Al-4V) | High strength-to-weight, used for flight-critical structure; demanding to cut — titanium machining. |
| Nickel alloys (Inconel) | Heat- and corrosion-resistant for hot sections; slow, work-hardening — Inconel machining. |
| Stainless steels | Corrosion resistance for fittings and hardware. |
Rigid Concepts machines these alloys routinely on its 5-axis and turning equipment. When you're ready, send your drawing and model through our contact page for a quote — and tell us which quality clauses your program flows down so we can confirm we can meet them.
// FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Rigid Concepts is ISO 9001:2015 certified and ITAR registered. AS9100 is the aerospace quality standard built on ISO 9001 that many primes and OEMs require of their suppliers; if your program requires a certification we don't currently hold, we'll tell you up front rather than imply otherwise.
A First Article Inspection Report (FAIR), typically per AS9102, documents that the first production part meets every drawing requirement before the run proceeds. Aerospace programs commonly require it along with material certs and process certifications. Tell us your FAI and documentation requirements — including the FAIR format your program expects — with your quote so we can build them into the job.
Many aerospace and defense items are export-controlled under ITAR, so their drawings, models, and technical data must be handled by U.S. persons in a compliant facility. Rigid Concepts is ITAR registered, so controlled technical data stays within a compliant U.S. environment.
Send us the hard one.
Upload your drawing or STEP file and we'll come back with pricing and lead time — from a single high-mix part to full production runs, held to exacting tolerances.