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The aerospace industry is an umbrella term that includes all types of flight vehicles, from gliders to rocket ships. Among the myriad career potentials that exist in this industry is that of a machinist. Machining jobs are expected to grow by seven percent by 2030 and aerospace tooling and machining job opportunities will grow with it. The sky and space are frontiers that promise to keep generating a workforce far into the future.
What Is an Aerospace Machinist?
Aerospace machinists are professionals that create detailed aircraft and spacecraft parts using complex machinery, including lathes and grinders as well as different types of computers. They are in demand as the aerospace industry in America serves about 2 million jobs or about 1.4 percent of all employment in America.
The Necessary Skills To Be a Machinist
There are two types of aerospace machinists: production machinists and maintenance machinists. Production machinists’ job is to create large quantities of particular components. One of the machines that they would be responsible for operating is the computer numerical control (CNC) machine. These machines provide a level of consistency, accuracy and efficiency that, while essential to producing materials that meet performance expectations, are not possible via the manual process.
Maintenance machinists’ primary role is to handle repairs or create parts for machines in use. They are the professionals who might be given a broken or failing part, who then use their expertise to determine whether it could be repaired or must be replaced.
Locations of Aerospace Manufacturing
Florida is a state that hosts aerospace companies. It consistently ranks among the top five states for aerospace industry employment, with more than 17,000 aerospace-related companies calling Florida home.
Exploration Park is located on Florida’s Space Coast, just outside the gates of the Kennedy Space Center. The Park has been developed with an emphasis on sustainability. Launch Complex 20, Space Life Sciences Lab and the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility are but a few of the other aerospace opportunities that exist in Florida.
Other states that top the list for hosting aerospace companies include:
- California
- Washington
- Texas
- Connecticut
- Arizona
Additive Printing in the Aerospace Industry
Additive, or 3D, printing is finding a home among the metalworking tools of the aerospace industry. The continued growth of the additive printing industry is partly driven by its opportunity for commercial and performance benefits in the aerospace industry. Opportunities for metal additive manufacturing in aerospace applications include:
- Consolidation of multiple components for performance enhancement
- Mass production of components through highly efficient and lightweight designs
- novel materials and unique design solutions
- Significant cost and lead time reduction
Aerospace tooling and machining jobs are in demand because air travel in all capacities is both popular and can be made more efficient. While, TFC make springs for aerospace industries. Whether you’re investigating the effects of cutting speed on cutting forces or fabricating a component of the next rocket, an aerospace machinist’s tasks are complex and crucial to any project’s success. Visit an industrial technology provider website to learn more about the machining tools used for machining the various metals employed in the aerospace industry.