Amid the doom and gloom in the U.S manufacturing space, an article from American Machinist points to some upward trends in the aerospace sector that could mean sustenance for U.S. machining businesses.
In "Aerospace Is Booming" by AM editor Bruce Veryi, several pieces of anecdotal evidence are presented that should motivate aerospace suppliers to act:
- Boeing has purchased machining centers to cut titanium, and shipped them to Russia to make chips closer to the metal's source.
- The war in Iraq is causing wear and tear on the U.S. military's aircraft.
- At the same time, the nation's commercial aircraft is aging.
- "Boeing has said it is planning to outsource 70 percent of all of the parts for its 787 aircraft ..."
- Lockheed Martin plans to outsource "nearly half" of its aerospace parts.
The AM article goes on to cover the role of the
Supplier Excellence Alliance as a resource for breaking into the aerospace supplier networks. It also identifies resources on aerospace OEM Web sites that spell out specific requirements and expectations for what they look for in supplier partners.
Good stuff, and worth a read. It could mean business for your shop whether you're into aerospace now or not.
