Prototype to Production: Scaling Aerospace Aluminium Bracket with CNC Machining
How a structural bracket machined from 7075-T6 plate moved from a machined prototype to a repeatable production programme: design for manufacture changes, fixtures for volume, process capability and the delivery pattern agreed with the customer.
The prototype stage
The first parts were machined from solid to prove the design, with the emphasis on speed rather than unit cost.
Prototype feedback identified features that were expensive to make and not essential to function.
Design for manufacture
We proposed rounding internal corners to a standard cutter radius, relaxing non-functional tolerances and removing a deep pocket that added cycle time.
None of the changes affected the function, and together they reduced machining time significantly.
Fixtures for volume
A dedicated fixture with quick-acting clamps and preset tooling replaced the prototype setup, cutting loading time and improving repeatability.
Tooling lives were set by part count, and tools are changed before they fail rather than after.
Process capability
The required characteristics, 2 mm walls with a profile tolerance of plus or minus 0.05 mm, were measured across a trial batch and reported as capability rather than as a pass or fail.
Where capability was marginal, the process was adjusted before volume production started.
Volume and delivery
The programme now runs to a rolling forecast, with agreed buffer stock and a defined reorder lead time.
The customer holds less inventory and the factory plans capacity more evenly, which is the real benefit of a production agreement.
Summary
The programme continues to run against the agreed control plan, and the approved first article remains the reference for every reorder.
