Defense Manufacturing

A variety of defense systems components, built to AS9100D standards with the documentation and traceability these programs require.

Defense

Documentation and Compliance
Standards for Defense Programs

Defense programs carry the same tolerance and documentation rigor as aerospace, with additional requirements layered on top: full material traceability, First Article Inspection, Certificates of Conformance, conflict mineral reporting, and secure handling of controlled technical data. Every part that leaves a Compass Precision facility for a defense program is built and documented to hold up to that level of scrutiny.

Compass Precision platform facilities running defense programs maintain AS9100D certification, ITAR registration, and CMMC compliance where required. Manufacturing capabilities include 5-axis machining, mill-turn, Swiss machining, and fiber optic laser cutting for a variety of complex components. That combination means a defense buyer can source the process range a program needs, along with the compliance paperwork that goes with it, from one qualified supplier.

NASA InSight Mars lander component review

Defense

One of our components has been operating on Mars since 2018.

R&D Machine manufactured a component now aboard NASA’s InSight Mars lander. The lander reached the Martian surface in November 2018 and has since been studying the planet’s deep interior, gathering seismic and heat data that scientists believe will help explain the formation of rocky planets. The program’s prime contractor confirmed the component continues to perform. For flight programs where documentation and dimensional accuracy are non-negotiable, R&D Machine has the record.

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CNC machining for defense programs

Defense

Certifications and Compliance for Defense Programs

Defense buyers carry requirements beyond the aerospace baseline: ITAR registration isn’t optional, CMMC compliance matters for any DoD-connected program, and conflict mineral reporting or controlled technical data handling can be a pass/fail condition of the contract rather than a nice-to-have. Several Compass Precision platform facilities clear the full list.

  • AS9100D: Aerospace Quality Management System
  • ITAR: International Traffic in Arms Regulations Compliance
  • CMMC: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, Level 2 Where Held
  • ISO 9001:2015: Base Quality Management System, Maintained Across All 11 Platform Facilities
  • NAS Hardware Compliance: Available for Programs That Require It
LocationMachiningTurningEDMSecondaryMetrologyFabricationCertifications
3-Axis4-Axis5-AxisHorizontalAutomationCNCMill/TurnSwissHole PopperSinkerWireGrindingHeat TreatFinishingCMMSPCVisionAssemblyBendingLaserStampingWeldingAS9100DISO 9001:2015CMMCITAR
Accu-Tool
Apex, NC		●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Advanced Machining
Salisbury, NC		●●●●●●●●●●●●●○●
Bergeron Machine
Westford, MA		●●●●●●●○●
Douglas Machining
Winona, MN		●●●●●●●●●●●●
Gray Manufacturing
Denver, NC		●●●●●●●●●●●●○●
Pocasset Machine
Bourne, MA		●●●●●●●●
Quality Products
Charlotte, NC		●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●○●●●
R&D Machine
Oldsmar, FL		●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Strom Manufacturing
North Plains, OR		●●●●●●●●●○
Tri-Tec Industries
Charlotte, NC		●●●●●●●
Trutron Corporation
Troy, MI		●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Defense

Machining for Defense Applications

Multi-axis CNC machining of defense components

Machining Processes

  • 5-axis machining, mill-turn, Swiss machining, and fiber optic laser cutting for a variety of complex components
  • High-volume and high-mix production using Swiss machining, mill-turn, and multi-axis machining systems built for repeatability and tight tolerance control
Precision inspection of a machined defense part

Quality, Documentation & Inspection

  • Regulatory compliance for defense programs, including conflict mineral reporting, supplier transparency requirements, and secure handling of controlled technical data
  • End-to-end quality systems that maintain full material traceability, First Article Inspection, Certificates of Conformance, and customer-specific documentation requirements
  • Manufacturing experience aligned with National Aerospace Standards (NAS) hardware and aerospace-qualified supply chain requirements
Precision-machined defense hardware

Defense

Typical Defense Parts

  • Defense System Housings
  • Sensor Mounts
  • Precision Actuator Components
  • Military Aircraft Components
  • Precision Tooling And Fixtures

Defense

Compliance Depth and Capacity
Across the Platform

Capacity for defense programs is spread across multiple facilities rather than concentrated in one location. That distribution gives the platform room to absorb surge demand and take on programs with delivery requirements across different U.S. regions, instead of leaving a buyer dependent on a single site’s schedule.

That capacity keeps growing. Continued investment in automation, advanced machining systems, laser processing, and metrology has expanded both production and inspection capacity across the platform, so growth in one area doesn’t come at the expense of another.

Defense programs don’t always stay at one pace either. A program can move from prototype to full-rate production, or need output split across multiple assembly sites, faster than a single-source supplier can absorb. Running production across several ITAR-registered, AS9100D-certified facilities gives the platform room to take on that kind of change without the customer needing to qualify a second vendor mid-program.

Two facilities within the platform, Quality Products & Machine and R&D Machine, hold CMMC certification, the specific DoD cybersecurity requirement many defense programs are built around. That gives buyers extra assurance on data handling for programs where the requirement applies, something not every machine shop can say.

Fighter jet on the flight line

Defense

Demonstrated Experience in This Industry

Several of our facilities have supplied precision titanium and high-performance alloy components for fighter jets and other military aircraft.

Contact

Have a Defense Program That Needs a
Certified Manufacturing Partner?

With the certifications, compliance systems, and manufacturing depth these programs require, spread across the Compass Precision platform, let’s match your program to the right facility and certification profile.

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