Parts and products for the aerospace sector require the utmost precision to ensure reliable performance under challenging conditions in mission-critical applications. At Helander Metal Spinning Company, we have over 80 years of experience providing high-quality custom metal spinning, fabrication, and finishing services for diverse commercial and industrial markets, partnering with small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike. We support clients in the aerospace industry through our commitment to quality and close adherence to customers’ exacting part specifications. Learn more about our metal spinning services and the benefits they can provide for your next aerospace project.
What Is Metal Spinning?
Metal spinning is a metalworking technique that manufacturers use to create symmetrical components in a round, conical, or toroidal shape. Unlike subtractive machining, metal spinning uses pressure to transform a flat, circular disc or tube blank into a part with axial symmetry. The process starts with a lathe spinning the blank at high speeds. Then a roller tool that’s set against the blank’s surface, along with a mandrel offering workpiece support, apply sufficient lateral force that the metal blank ultimately takes on the desired shape.
Metal spinning can be a hot or cold process. Depending on the design intricacy of your part and the required volume for your aerospace project, we can use automated computer numerical control (CNC) machines, hydraulic-assist equipment, or manual hand spinning techniques.
Advantages of Metal Spinning in the Aerospace Industry
Also known as spin forming, metal spinning is capable of quickly creating high product volumes without sacrificing quality. These and other advantages make the process a good fit for aerospace organizations, offering:
Components With an Optimal Strength-to-Weight Ratio. This industry requires metal aerospace parts that are lightweight enough to provide maximal fuel efficiency while still delivering high structural integrity. This is because air- and spacecraft equipment is regularly exposed to fluctuating temperatures and pressures, weather conditions, turbulence, and more. Metal spinning companies use this production technique to shape metal blanks into thin, light, yet supremely strong parts that can withstand harsh environments and provide reliable operation.
Diverse and complex designs. Metal spinning offers you the flexibility to create accurate, custom products like specialty parts or components with unique dimensions or designs. The process is effective for producing anything from engine parts and fuel tanks to housings and shields.
Tighter turn times. Automated metal spinning processes are extremely efficient, generating high-quality, uniform parts without making mistakes or needing breaks. As a result, metal spinning can produce high-volume orders within a short period to meet tight aerospace project deadlines.
Cost savings in tooling, labor, and materials. Metal spinning utilizes lower-cost tooling, and the incorporation of automation in the process can save you money by increasing throughput while reducing labor costs and material use.
Sustainable production. As metal spinning shapes a workpiece without cutting away excess material, there’s much less waste generation than in subtractive manufacturing methods. Your organization can get more use out of every metal order, enhancing material efficiency and sustainability while reducing costs.
By capitalizing on the benefits of metal spinning, aerospace companies can develop and create high-strength, intricate parts and trim their production budget. Metal spinning allows you to achieve optimal quality and performance in your products while still reducing errors, costs, and turn times to decrease your time to market.
Partner With Helander Metal Spinning Company for High-Quality Aerospace Solutions
Versatile metal spinning allows manufacturers to form sizable, quality components with uniformity and precision. Since 1936, Helander has been a one-stop shop for all your metal spinning, fabrication, and finishing needs. Aerospace and defense are two of our core markets, and we can deliver close-tolerance, cost-effective components with tight turnaround times.
In various metals and material thicknesses, we can produce parts up to 100 inches in diameter, 60 inches high, and holding tolerances of ±0.001 inches. Common components our team creates for these industries include liners, shields, dome deflectors, nozzles, manifolds, housings, and more.
As an ISO 9001:2015- and AS9100D-certified, ITAR-registered, and NADCAP-accredited business, Helander has the extensive experience, knowledge, and well-equipped facilities to provide optimal solutions for myriad aerospace projects. Contact us to learn more about our aerospace metal fabrication and spinning capabilities, or request a quote today to get started.
Initially developed for commercial use in 1905, Monel® is a group of copper and nickel alloys valued for their excellent temperature and corrosion resistance. In recent years, this versatile material has become increasingly important to the aerospace and defense industries. This blog will further discuss the benefits and common applications of Monel® so you can decide whether it’s the right choice for your project.
What Is Monel® Metal?
Monel® is a trademarked type of nickel alloy that contains copper as the main alloying element. In addition to these two metals, Monel® also contains small amounts of aluminum, carbon, iron, manganese, silicon, sulfur, and titanium. The specific alloy’s composition varies depending on its intended application.
Monel® alloys feature high strength and corrosion resistance in both saltwater and freshwater. They are also resistant to high and low temperatures, making them suitable for use in challenging environments. For these reasons, Monel® is known as a superalloy.
Some additional noteworthy characteristics of Monel® alloys include:
Malleability
High resistance to corrosion
Stronger than steel
Maintains strength in subzero temperatures
Low coefficient of thermal expansion
High resistance to alkalis
Can be brazed, welded, and soldered
Monel® materials are available in three commercial grades, each with its own distinct features:
Monel 400: Used in aerospace, marine engineering, and chemical processing, Monel 400 is a tough grade that is especially good at resisting attacks from strong acids and seawater.
Monel R-405: This grade is nearly identical in composition to Monel 400, but R-405 has a higher sulfur content that makes it more machinable.
Monel K-500: Monel K-500 has enhanced strength and hardness due to a slightly higher titanium and aluminum content.
Benefits of Monel®
Monel® has many characteristics that make it well-suited to highly demanding environments, such as aerospace applications. For example, it can easily withstand the high pressure and heat of combustion chambers. Certain Monel® alloys, such as Monel 400, are even able to retain their strength and shape in temperatures up to 1300 °C.
Key benefits of Monel® metals include:
Corrosion resistant: Monels are highly resistant to corrosion from acids and alkalis, outperforming many other popular corrosion-resistant alloys like stainless steel.
Weldability: Easily welded with standard welding techniques.
Formability: Formable into a wide range of shapes, including pipes and rods.
Temperature resistance: Monel® maintains its strength over a wide range of temperatures, from sub-zero to 480 °C or more.
Applications of Monel®
Monel® is used in a wide range of applications, particularly those that require a high degree of corrosion resistance and toughness. Thus, it is often used in chemical processing, hydrocarbon processing, marine engineering, and aerospace equipment, such as:
Carburetors
Exhaust assemblies and manifolds
Heat exchangers
Pipes
Tubes
Holding engine parts in place
Frame structures
Propeller shafts
Gears and chains for landing gear
Rivets
Wires
Since Monel® alloys are able to withstand the heat created by high-speed flight, it is regularly used to manufacture aircraft frame structures, rocket components, and rivets. Monel® rivets hold engines, exhaust assemblies, and other aircraft systems in place and are a more durable replacement for corrosion-resistant steel in these applications.
Monel® Components From Helander
Monel® alloys are a group of high-performance metal materials uniquely suited to demanding environments. Throughout the aerospace and defense industries, in particular, there are numerous applications that benefit from this material. At Helander, we create custom-fabricated Monel® components developed to ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards.
Metal spinning and hydroforming are two of the most utilized industrial processes in manufacturing a wide-range of products from satellite dishes, gas cylinders, lighting hardware, to musical instruments, and more. Understanding each method and its benefits will help you decide which metal forming technique best suits your application.
Steel and aluminum are two popular metals for producing consumer and commercial metal goods. While both metals can have a shiny, silver appearance, have good forming characteristics, and can resist common forms of damage, the two metals offer very different characteristics and are used in distinct applications.
Hydroforming (Sheet Hydroforming) is a specialized deep draw process that uses high-pressure rubber to shape and form metal workpieces. In sheet hydroforming, a metal sheet is placed over a die before highly pressurized water forces it down and makes it conform to the shape of the mold. In tube hydroforming, a preexisting tube is set between two dies, and water pushes the interior of the tube to expand and conform to the new shape. Both processes allow for the seamless forming of new shapes and parts in common metal alloys without welds. Additionally, the hydroforming process is an excellent choice for developing complicated, irregularly-shaped parts or products. At Helander, we specialize in high-quality metal-forming and manufacturing services to create custom parts for a wide range of applications across different industries including Sheet Hydroforming and Metal Spinning. (more…)
Also known as spin forming, metal spinning is a process manufacturers use to craft axially symmetric metal parts without cutting the material. This process is efficient and highly versatile. At Helander, we have spent over 80 years providing superior quality metal spinning services to our customers in the aerospace, commercial, medical, and defense industries.
Metal spinning, sometimes referred to as spin forming, is a machining technique that creates axially symmetrical parts from metal tubes or discs. This process works by rotating the metal workpiece, forming it to a mandrel. Once clamped to a vertical or horizontal lathe, the force and rotation will shape the workpiece into a cone, tube, toroid, or other rounded shape.
At Helander Metal, we provide metal forming and other fabrication services to customers in the aerospace, defense, and military industries. Armed with over 85 years of experience, highly capable employees, and advanced equipment, we have what it takes to deliver high-quality precision metal parts and products that meet some of the tightest tolerances and timelines. That’s why customers in these critical industries know they can rely on us to produce components for their devices and systems, including satellites.
Metal polishing is a finishing process that uses abrasive materials to improve the surface of precision metal components. Polishing enhances the functional and aesthetic quality of the metallic surface by removing surface imperfections (e.g., scratches and nicks), improving corrosion and oxidation resistance, and/or adding a coarse, satin, fine satin finish.
Metal spinning transforms workpieces into axially symmetrical objects. This technique is a lower-cost metal forming option and enables unique shapes – such as parabolic nose shapes, hemispherical, and cones – to be created from singular pieces of metal, as opposed to forming seamed pieces that are structurally weaker. Here we will share some insights about the metal spinning process to help you choose the right materials and other considerations for your next project.
Hydroforming (Sheet Hydroforming) is a specialized deep draw process that uses high-pressure rubber to shape and form metal workpieces. In sheet hydroforming, a metal sheet is placed over a die before highly pressurized water forces it down and makes it conform to the shape of the mold. In tube hydroforming, a preexisting tube is set between two dies, and water pushes the interior of the tube to expand and conform to the new shape. Both processes allow for the seamless forming of new shapes and parts in common metal alloys without welds. Additionally, the hydroforming process is an excellent choice for developing complicated, 
Also known as spin forming, metal spinning is a process manufacturers use to craft axially symmetric metal parts without cutting the material. This process is efficient and highly versatile. At Helander, we have spent over 80 years providing superior quality metal spinning services to our customers in the aerospace, commercial, medical, and defense industries.
Metal spinning, sometimes referred to as spin forming, is a machining technique that creates axially symmetrical parts from metal tubes or discs. This process works by rotating the metal workpiece, forming it to a mandrel. Once clamped to a vertical or horizontal lathe, the force and rotation will shape the workpiece into a cone, tube, toroid, or other rounded shape.