Industry
Defense
Ruggedized hardware machined under export-control discipline, traceable from mill lot to shipment.
FabVector machines Defense parts in Aluminum 7075-T6, Alloy Steel 4340, Titanium Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V), from 1 piece, with instant online estimates, engineer-reviewed quotes in 24 hours and NDA-protected files. Delivery with duties handled to the US, Canada, UK and Australia.
- Materials
- Aluminum 7075-T6, Alloy Steel 4340, Titanium Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V)
- Minimum order
- 1 piece
- Estimate
- ~60s online
- Quote
- engineer-reviewed 24h
- IP
- NDA from upload
What slows this industry down
Defense-adjacent programs add a compliance layer most machine shops have never operated under: ITAR/EAR export control governs who may even open the CAD file, and DFARS cybersecurity clauses flow down to how quote data is stored. Surface treatments must follow MIL specs — MIL-A-8625 anodize, MIL-DTL-5541 chem-film — with paperwork a prime contractor will audit. Material traceability is absolute: every 4340 or titanium part must trace to a certified mill lot. Programs mix urgent prototype iterations with long-tail spares production, and the supplier base that handles both under control is thin. We quote unclassified, non-controlled hardware only, and ask that any export-controlled technical data be declared before files are sent.
Typical parts we machine
- Ruggedized equipment enclosures and chassis
- Sensor and optical assembly mounts
- MIL-spec connector housings and cable glands
- Vehicle and airborne mounting brackets
- Antenna and RF component hardware
Recommended materials
Aluminum 7075-T6
Aircraft-grade aluminum: steel-level strength at a third of the weight.
Alloy Steel 4340
The landing-gear steel: maximum strength with toughness for safety-critical rotating parts.
Titanium Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V)
Half the weight of steel at full strength, bio-inert, corrosion-proof — and priced accordingly.
Stainless Steel 17-4 PH
Stainless that hardens like tool steel: 1,310 MPa in H900 with minimal distortion.
Recommended finishes
Hardcoat Anodizing Type III
Wear armor for aluminum: an oxide layer as hard as tool steel.
Chromate Conversion (Alodine / Chem Film)
Corrosion protection that stays conductive — the EMI-grounding finish for aluminum.
Black Oxide
Black with zero dimensional change: the gauge-and-tool finish for precision steel.
Certifications & standards
- ITAR / EAR
- We understand ITAR/EAR export-control obligations — any controlled technical data must be declared at RFQ, before files are transmitted, so handling and access restrictions apply from the first upload.
- DFARS 252.204-7012 / CMMC
- We understand DFARS 252.204-7012 cybersecurity flow-downs and the CMMC framework governing how covered defense information must be protected.
- AS9100
- We understand defense primes expect AS9100-grade configuration control and quality records throughout the supply chain.
- EN 10204 3.1
- We support absolute material traceability with EN 10204 3.1 certificates on every structural alloy lot.
We understand and support these requirements; certification and documentation scope is confirmed per order.
Questions defense buyers ask
- Can defense-related parts be machined overseas at all?
- Only when export control allows it, and that is your determination to make before files move: ITAR-controlled technical data cannot come to us, full stop. Plenty of defense-adjacent work — training hardware, commercial-derivative components, EAR99 items — is legitimately machinable offshore; classify first, quote second.
- What does MIL-spec surface treatment mean on a machining drawing?
- Usually MIL-A-8625 anodize (Type II decorative-protective, Type III hardcoat) or MIL-DTL-5541 chromate conversion for conductivity plus corrosion protection. They are process standards any qualified line can run; what you should demand is the coating certificate naming the spec, class and thickness measured.
- Which alloys dominate ruggedized enclosure and mount machining?
- 7075-T6 with Type III hardcoat where strength and wear resistance carry the design, 4340 for high-load pins and mounts, 17-4 PH where corrosion plus strength must coexist. Weight budgets usually push toward 7075 first; fatigue-critical items push toward the steels.
Relevant services
5-Axis Machining
Simultaneous 5-axis machining for impellers, freeform surfaces and compound-angle features.
CNC Milling
3- and 4-axis vertical machining for housings, brackets, manifolds and structural parts.
Wire EDM
Electrical discharge wire cutting for hardened steels, sharp internal corners and zero-force profiles.
CNC machining service by country
Have a part in mind?
Upload CAD or drawings. Eligible CNC work gets an instant estimate; other processes move to engineer review. NDA-protected from the first byte.
Start an RFQ