At Keats Manufacturing, we’re committed to meeting stringent aerospace industry standards, offering precision custom metal stamping capabilities in order to produce parts and aerospace components that are consistently error-free.
Due to the sensitive, safety-critical nature of air and space travel and exploration, it’s little surprise that the aerospace industry has some of the strictest requirements for metal parts and components; tight tolerances and precise measurements are necessary for ensuring the safety of customers, employees, and the public.
Consequently, we hold some of the industry’s top certifications to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to safety and quality; we are currently ISO-certified, have the ability to build to U.S. military standards (Mil-Spec), and are compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive.
Along with these certifications, our exceptionally skilled staff and advanced equipment allows us to deliver superior parts and aerospace components. At Keats, our talented team is led by 25 of the most experienced diemakers in the industry, who lend their expertise and skill to every piece we produce. Our tooling is truly unique, as we engineer every tool and die in-house — from initial design and prototyping through final production. We’re also proud to offer state-of-the-art equipment for customized precision tooling, diemaking, and metal stamping.
Our Metal Stamping Equipment
Some of our specialty equipment includes:
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD)/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Software — CAD involves the creation of modeled parts or systems that engineers can test by conducting virtual simulations on them. CAM involves the use of computerized design data to control automated machinery. Because both CAD and CAM are computer-based, they can be used together to closely integrate a company’s design and manufacturing activities for greater accuracy which is integral in the aerospace and defense industries.
- Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) — EDM machining involves passing an electrical current between an electrode and the workpiece in order to cut a formed metal part from the rest of the metal sheet during production. EDM is known for its high level of precision and its ability to easily work materials that are usually very hard to cut, saving both time and money in the production process.
- Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining — CNC machining involves the use of computer software to program and automate the motion of a tool or die, allowing for more accurate manufacturing.
- Four-Slide/Multi-Slide Stamping Press — Four-slide and multi-slide stamping presses work at right angles, as opposed to the vertical motion of traditional metal stamping presses. This motion gives the tooling greater access to the metal itself, from multiple angles — allowing for the creation of bent and twisted stamped parts. The ability to access the metal from many sides makes multi-stamping ideal for aircraft component designs with complex shapes or bends.
Stamped Component Capabilities
We’re proud to offer a wide range of customization options for precision, tight-tolerance small metal stampings frequently utilized in the aerospace industry. Below are some of the unique customization capabilities available for some of our most commonly stamped components:
- Assemblies — Our custom assembly capabilities make it possible to create small metal aerospace components. These capabilities include multi-stage tooling for the elimination of secondary phases; plastic injection molding; in-line contact staking insertion; welding; Just-in-Time (JIT) delivery; in-die tapped and threaded holes with or without screw/fastener insertions; and in-line part-to-part assembly for reducing component costs.
- Brackets — For custom bracket stamping and aerospace brackets, we offer a range of plating types, including RoHS-compliant, dip-and-spin, and Dorken process; a variety of bracket types, including barrel, rack, and selective; austempering, vacuum hardening, and oil quenching; JIT delivery; design and assembly; and prototyping services to facilitate high-volume orders of up to 50 million parts.
- Bushings — Our custom aircraft bushing capabilities and offerings include a wide range of sizes (oval, round, tall, and small); diamond imprints; knurl patterns; various metal types and composite materials; JIT delivery; four-slide/multi-slide stamping press technology; and a 12-member quality-control team to ensure every piece produced meets our strict standards for aircraft bushings.
- Clips — For stamped metal clips, we offer unlimited plating resources; austempering, vacuum hardening, and oil quenching; and JIT delivery. These clips are often utilized as mounting brackets commonly found in the commercial airline industry.
- Lead Frames — Our lead frame capabilities and offerings include pre-post, selective, and precious plating; secondary forming with selective plating; wire bonding; JIT delivery; and custom in-house tooling that allows for simultaneous production of multiple parts. Our staff is available 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, to get your jobs done quickly and efficiently.
- Shields — We offer wide range of sizes for shields (ovals, rounds, tall, and small); diamond imprints; knurl patterns; split and butt seams; minimal and/or zero-gap and interlocking features; PCB and radio frequency capabilities; JIT delivery; four-slide/multi-slide stamping presses; and a 12-member quality-control team.
- Terminals — Keats offers pre-post, selective, and precious plating for terminals, as well as wire bonding, secondary forming with selecting plating, and a wide range of metals and alloys to choose from.
- Wire Forms — Our wire form capabilities include a variety of cutting-edge fabrication procedures; ultra-fine sizes up to .18 inch; finished wire products with tolerances up to .0005 inch; a wide range of metals and alloys; and various wire assemblies.
Learn More
These capabilities, along with our state-of-the-art equipment and technical expertise, have allowed us to create some of the most precise components used in the aerospace industry today. Since 1971, we’ve been proudly providing customers with the highest-quality custom metal stamped parts and precision machined wire forms and assemblies. To discuss how we can help with your next custom metal stamping project, contact us today or request a quote.