Northwest Aerospace News October | November Issue No. 5 | Page 28

Strategic
Planning
Creates an
Efficient
Finish
Aero Finishing, LLC - AFL
By Dean Cameron and Contributor
A
erospace manufacturing is a coordinated dance in which sequence, speed, and precision matter. While there are many
qualified part manufacturers, there is still tremendous demand for aerospace-certified finishing services.
This is because metal finishing is a chemically intense process that is closely regulated to ensure worker safety and
compliance with environmental health standards. The amount of overhead investment required to enter the market as a
new supplier is a nearly insurmountable challenge. This limits competition. Existing suppliers have steady work and little
incentive to adapt their service line, especially when facing the costly certifications necessary for upgrades to their facility.
As demand for aerospace-certified finishing services increases across the region, the metal finishing process has become
a chokepoint for many programs. The industry is tapped out. Everyone is getting product, but not as quickly as it needs to
happen. A critical part that requires a specialized processing technique may delay an entire assembly if the finisher is over-
booked or unable to deliver perfect quality on the first pass.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS