Flight-Ready Precision: Gaging for Aerospace and Aviation Defense Systems
The aerospace and defense industries rely on components being able to perform in high-stakes scenarios while exposed to extreme heat, vibration, and pressure. Precision and performance are key in these conditions in order to enable air superiority and ongoing national defense, making thread gaging an essential part of quality control in the manufacturing process.
The right partner can help ensure that your threaded components comply with stringent aerospace and defense requirements. Learn more about gaging requirements in these sectors and how Gage Assembly supports these frameworks with compliance-ready gages.
Gaging Standards and Application Requirements
Organizations in aerospace and aviation defense face unique gaging requirements in order to guarantee the safety and reliability of flight and defense-grade threaded components.
Key Standards and Certifications
Organizations must adhere to certain gaging standards and regulations when manufacturing parts for aerospace and aviation defense systems. One of the most important certifications in the aerospace industry is AS9100, which sets a standard for quality management systems for organizations that design, develop, or supply aviation, space, and defense products and services.
Gages for military applications must meet a range of defense industry specifications, including MIL-S7742D and AS8879. Further, OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon require measurements and tooling (including gages) to be traceable to NIST.
Thread Gaging in Critical Applications
Fixed limit gaging, also known as Working “go” and “no-go” gages, allow defense industry operators to check and verify the correct size and pitch diameter of the external and internal thread. These gages are intended to be accurate to millionths of an inch, which is essential for the military and defense industry. To combat issues such as galling or distortion and ensure the longevity of the gages themselves, high-wear gage materials like graphitic tool steel are often used. Inspection labs must also be kept at a standard temperature to prevent thermal expansion or contraction that could affect measurement accuracy.
Gage Assembly’s Role in Aerospace and Defense
Gage Assembly provides precision-engineered gages specifically designed for high-performance assemblies.
Industry-Specific Expertise
At Gage Assembly, we have been providing gages to aerospace OEMs, avionics manufacturers, and other clients in aerospace and defense for decades. These gages can be used with fighter jets, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and ground-based radar and communications systems, as well as maintenance and support systems for airfields. Our gaging solutions can also help you meet AS9100 and OEM-specific standards.
Military-Grade Tolerance Assurance
We have the ability to provide military-grade tolerance assurance with our high-quality precision gages, allowing us to help customers meet MIL-Specs like MIL-S8879C and MIL-S7742D. In turn, defense contractors can guarantee that tight tolerances are met on guided munitions, flight systems, and ground-based vehicles.
Special and Custom Thread Gages
Many aerospace and defense applications involve working with non-standard threads, such as composite housings and proprietary thread fasteners that cannot be tested with standard gages. This is why Gage Assembly is a preferred gage supplier in the defense and aerospace sectors. We offer fully custom thread gages, so you can guarantee the quality of your finished products.
Applicable Product Lines
Gage Assembly can provide a wide range of products, ensuring our customers’ diverse gaging needs are met. Some of the types of gages we offer include:
- UNJ Thread plug gages
- Taperlock plug gages
- Truncated set plug gages
- UNJ Ring gages
- Acme thread gages
Gaging for Mission Assurance
Manufacturers in the defense and aerospace sector must ensure their threaded products are reliable, and meet industry/government quality and compliance standards. Due to the high-stakes nature of their work, these organizations need high-quality gages they can rely on to verify that every threaded fastener and component meets their expectations. With decades of experience supplying high-quality gages to the defense and aerospace sector, Gage Assembly has the knowledge and expertise to deliver reliable, custom gages that will help ensure close tolerances are met.
Contact us today to learn more about our precision gages as well as to request a catalog. Engineers can also explore our Aerospace and Defense pages for application-specific needs.
