Northwest Aerospace News — Issue 32 April | May 2023 | Page 31

From his perspective , today ’ s aerospace manufacturing requires traditional and modern techniques . With prototyping , “ Rapid prototyping is now dominated by additive manufacturing ,” said Mikel .
CNC machining is a relevant manufacturing process .
For aerospace mass production , injection molding is most used .
For millions of parts , traditional manufacturing methods are still cheaper . “ Lowering the cost per unit with additive can lead to mass production ,” he added .
“ We want to offer the customer exactly what they need for manufacturing ,” Mikel said . With the variety of options , they can accommodate the parts needed for the industry . Holt said they practice the highest standards for quality assurance with “ full traceability of the part and machine through the entire process .” She said there are inspection processes as well to ensure quality .
Holt said they ’ d had the same issues with hiring in recent years as many in the Seattle location ’ s aerospace industry . They offer training processes that are considered “ on-the-job ” training . Finding reliable , trainable , and adaptable people is the “ first hurdle .” From there , they document all training for new employees . She did offer that they encourage employees to refer friends and family to apply to the company . She said it can take time to develop senior-level people , “ I am fortunate to have senior-tenured people , which helps when we onboard someone new .”
Contact
Quickparts website : https :// quickparts . com / contact-quickparts /
APRIL | MAY 2023 ISSUE NO . 32 31