Aerospace Prototype Parts: Ground Test Hardware, Jigs, Fixtures and Non-Flight Components

SkillsProto builds non-flight prototype parts for aerospace programmes: ground test hardware, rig components, assembly jigs, tooling fixtures, cabin interior mock-ups and ducting prototypes. CNC machining holds ±0.005 mm on critical features, MOQ is 1 piece, lead time is 3-7 working days with a 48-hour expedite, and DDP transit to the UK and EU adds 3-5 days. We are a prototype and low-volume manufacturer. We do not hold AS9100, we do not supply flight-critical or airworthy parts, and we do not accept work on military programmes or items subject to dual-use export control.

What we build, and what we do not

Materials and the titanium question

For ground hardware the workhorses are 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 aluminium for fixtures, frames and brackets, 304 and 316 stainless for hardware near heat, fluids or aggressive cleaning, and mild steel for load frames and weldments. PEEK and POM cover insulating and low-friction components. Sheet metal in 5052 and 6061 covers ducting and panel work.

Titanium needs care. Certain titanium alloys in certain forms — notably Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5 / TC4) bar and tube above specific strength and diameter thresholds — appear on dual-use and munitions control lists, and exporting them requires a licence. We do not machine controlled titanium forms for export. If your drawing specifies a titanium grade, include the tensile strength, the form (bar, plate, tube) and the dimensions with the RFQ; if the combination falls inside a controlled category, we will decline it rather than quote and fail later. Uncontrolled titanium applications are quoted normally.

Documentation and traceability

Aerospace-adjacent work is unusually document-heavy, so here is exactly what you get:

• First article inspection report with every order, measured against the drawing.

• CMM data on request for the features you call out.

• Material certificate when the mill issues one and you request it at quote stage — not added afterwards.

• Process and finish records (anodise type, passivation, painting standard) where you specify the standard.

What you do not get: any certificate of conformity to an airworthiness standard, any AS9100-based quality system documentation, or any statement of flight release. If your programme requires those, the part belongs with a certified aerospace supplier, and the honest dividing line is whether the part flies.

Designing ground hardware for cost

Three decisions dominate the price of a jig or rig component:

1. How many setups. Every re-fixturing adds alignment error and machine time. A part designed to be machined from two opposite faces is dramatically cheaper than one needing five approaches.

2. How much material comes out. A bracket cut from a solid block costs in both stock and cycle time; a welded or bolted assembly of smaller plates often does the same job for less.

3. Which features are actually functional. Tooling balls, datum surfaces and bushings need to be accurate. The handle, the label area and the outer profile do not.

If the fixture will be moved around a shop, add lifting points and a flat base early. Retrofitting them after the part is machined is the single most common rework request we see.

How we quote aerospace-adjacent work

Send the STEP or DWG geometry, a PDF drawing with the datum scheme marked, quantity, material with grade, and any finish standard you are working to. Two pieces of information decide whether we can quote at all: the end use, stated plainly, and the full material specification including form and dimensions. If the end use is flight or defence, or the material is a controlled form, we will decline rather than quote and fail later. For everything else the quote comes back inside 24 business hours with written manufacturability notes from the engineer who will release the job.

Cost drivers on jigs and fixtures

Fixture cost is dominated by three things: the number of setups the geometry demands, how much material has to come out of the stock, and how many features are actually functional. A plate that can be machined from two opposite faces is dramatically cheaper than one needing five approaches. A bracket cut from solid costs in stock and cycle time where a bolted assembly of smaller plates would do the same job. And tightening the handle, the label area or the outer profile buys nothing, so leave those at ISO 2768-m and spend the tolerance budget on bushings, datums and locating faces.