Chasing Gold in A&D Manufacturing

The classic Olympic motto “citius, altius, fortius” (faster, higher, stronger) often strikes me as a fitting mantra for manufacturing, especially aerospace manufacturing. The constant drive to make aircraft more efficient results in tighter tolerances and increasingly difficult-to-machine alloys. And not only do the OEMs want their planes to be faster, or at least lighter, they want to make them faster, driving parts makers to improve productivity. It’s a non-stop run for the gold—and to help, here are examples of machine and cutting tool technology that’s keeping up, plus advancements to look forward to.