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Workforce Development for the American Manufacturing Sector

Workforce Development for the American Manufacturing Sector

In many ways, the domestic manufacturing sector is on the rise. More than ever, customers are seeking out American-made quality and sustainability. Rising to this demand, factories across the nation continue to expand their capabilities with new, often automated production technologies. And of course, standing behind all of the high-tech machines of production are dedicated American workers striving to carry on a tradition of superior craftsmanship.

However, despite all of that, it’s no secret that many manufacturing industries have struggled to fill positions and maintain full worker capacity. A major factor in that discrepancy is the lack of proper workforce development for future employees – both on the part of manufacturers and the industry as a whole.

Snowline’s Commitment to the Future of Domestic Manufacturing

Snowline Engineering is dedicated to developing the workforce for the future of manufacturing.  Our company has been actively engaged with the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SVMA) for the past five years. This collaboration has been instrumental in developing a four-year apprenticeship program with SVMA. For more information on the apprenticeship program, please visit https://www.sacvalleymfg.org/.

Snowline also participates with high schools throughout the region by offering summer internships to local students who express interest in manufacturing.  The future of manufacturing lies with the youth of today, and Snowline is committed to providing opportunities for career development for today’s high school and college graduates.

What Goes into Proper Workforce Development for Manufacturing?

Starting Early with Skills Training and Education – The rapid advancement of modern manufacturing technology and processes demands workers who possess both a broad skill set and highly specialized training with the tools of the trade. For the former, workforce development programs must begin early, before or at the high school level, and continue on through college to ultimately provide the next generation of manufacturing professionals with all of the skills they’ll need.

Synchronizing the Classroom with Real-World Skills – Close collaboration between manufacturing companies and educational institutions is crucial. Early collaboration ensures that the education and training programs offered are both relevant to the market and up-to-date on technology, bridging the gap between classroom learning and the factory floor.

Changing Perceptions on Careers in Manufacturing – Throughout recent decades, there has been a misguided general perception that manufacturing jobs are predominantly low-skilled, physically exhausting, and relatively low-paying. That couldn’t be further from the truth in the domestic manufacturing sector of today, with an abundance of well-paying, highly-skilled positions available, requiring workers who can operate some of the most advanced technological tools on the market.

Through diverse workforce development programs, efforts can be made to change this perception on a societal level, highlighting the industry’s technological advancements, competitive salaries, career growth opportunities, and the positive impact on local economies – all of which will help attract new talent.

Much More than a Job – Snowline Offers an Opportunity to Build Your Career

For jobseekers looking to start a career with an innovative American manufacturing company that offers proper workforce development programs, Snowline may have just the open career opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Happy Professional
Industrial Worker Welding
Welder Smiling

Critical Factors in Aerospace Engineering for Harsh Environments

Critical Factors in Aerospace Engineering for Harsh Environments

Critical Factors in Aerospace Engineering for Harsh Environments

Today’s aerospace components are engineered to reliably withstand some of the harshest environments and most extreme conditions found around the entire planet.

Even typical commercial airliners in standard flight service are regularly subjected to drastic fluctuations in temperature, pressure, and wind shear forces. When it comes to spaceflight applications and high-performance military aircraft, the environments and operational conditions can be far more extreme still. In all cases, achieving the level of safety and performance that the modern aerospace sector demands relies upon innovation in engineering and manufacturing.

Engineering Critical Components to Survive Worst-Case Flight Conditions

Aerospace engineering companies draw upon the latest developments in materials science, 3D design/modeling systems, and precision manufacturing technology. These advanced tools are necessary to design and build complex components that can reliably survive the harshest flight conditions imaginable. In the modern aviation industry, critical parts are generally engineered and tested with some of the worst case scenarios in mind – no matter how rarely these conditions are encountered in the air. 

Engineering critical aerospace components for the harshest environments and operational conditions ensures the safety of passengers and flight crews around the globe, while also ensuring the long-term performance of these state-of-the-art products.

The Aerospace Engineering Challenges of Extreme Operational Conditions

High-Temperature Operational Conditions

Contending with extremely high temperatures is a challenge for various aerospace components. Gas turbine engines produce a substantial amount of heat, so any materials used must reliably stand up to high heat without experiencing material degradation – especially any components situated near the exhaust jet.

There is also the issue of aerodynamic heating to contend with. High-speed aircraft and space vehicles require highly durable materials that can withstand regular heat cycles due to air resistance. This aspect is especially crucial for supersonic military aircraft and space reentry vehicles. Aerospace engineering companies will utilize premium metals, specialized metal coatings / surface treatments, as well as unique engineering plastics and polymers to construct highly heat-resistant exterior components.

Cold Temperature Extremes

Of course, extreme cold can be equally as brutal on materials and components. It can cause brittleness and promote stress fractures when the wrong material is used – not to mention the issue of preventing freezing liquids beneath the surface.

For spacecraft, engineering components for extreme cold resistance is imperative, given that surface temperatures typically drop to around -250 degrees F in the shade. However, because the atmosphere becomes thinner at higher altitudes, even standard commercial aircraft regularly fly in temperatures of -60 degrees F or lower. Every single exterior component exposed to the atmosphere must be engineered from materials that can withstand extreme cold indefinitely.

High Wind Speeds and Wind Shear Forces

Winds are highly variable and unpredictable – especially when traveling for long distances between 30,000 and 40,000 feet in the sky. In extreme cases, violent wind shear forces from updrafts or pressure fronts would rip an aircraft apart like a toy if it were not engineered with some of the strongest materials and structural designs possible.

Essentially, aerospace components are engineered above and beyond normal operational conditions so that they can reliably survive whatever changes the weather throws at them.

Ingenuity in Aerospace Engineering Since 1966

Snowline has remained one of the American aviation industry’s premier engineering providers since our founding in 1966. Located in Sacramento, California, our facility is also equipped with a full-service manufacturing and fabrication department, capable of streamlining your project from start to finish.

Top High Performance Composite Materials for Aerospace

The Top High-Performance Composite Materials in Aerospace Engineering Today

P3 Orion

Composite materials are increasingly utilized in many aerospace engineering and manufacturing services. This widespread adoption is largely due to innovations and advancements in materials science, which have created high-performance composites that are much lighter weight than their metal counterparts.

Simultaneously, modern composites are specially engineered to be stronger or otherwise more resilient than many metals and conventional plastics. Specific performance attributes can be enhanced – such as directional strength or vibration absorption – so that composite components better withstand the harsh environments, unique stresses, and longevity requirements of today’s flight applications. These are just a few of the reasons why composites are the ideal manufacturing material for many components in today’s aviation sector.

Below, we discuss some of the most high-performance composite materials and plastics used in aerospace engineering today.

Carbon Fiber Composites

Carbon fiber is the most commonly used polymer composite in today’s commercial and military aerospace sectors. Sometimes alternatively referred to as graphite fiber, carbon fiber is extremely strong and lightweight, making it the perfect engineering material for a wide range of aircraft components.

For example, carbon fiber is often used as a metal replacement for aluminum because it offers substantially increased strength at a much lighter weight. Carbon is approximately 40% lighter than aluminum, depending on the alloy and the component design. Furthermore, unlike aluminum, carbon fiber material layups can be customized for each aerospace component in order to optimize physical attributes such as directional strength and deflection characteristics.

Fiberglass and Glass Composites

Fiberglass is another common composite used throughout today’s aviation industry. Also referred to as glass-reinforced plastics, fiberglass is a generally lightweight and strong material that is much less costly than carbon fiber. This makes it an extremely useful metal replacement for less performance-intensive and non-critical aircraft products such as interior/cabin components, flooring, seating, and structural reinforcements.

Aramid Composites

Aramid-reinforced epoxy (the most common type being Dupont Kevlar) is a laminated composite material manufactured from stacked aramid fibers and resin matrixes. Aramid composite materials offer essentially the same advantages of carbon fiber to an even greater extreme: high strength, excellent impact/abrasion resistance, and an even lighter weight approximately 20% less than carbon.

However, aside from the material’s expense, there are some additional drawbacks compared to carbon fiber. Creating aramid composites requires an extremely difficult treatment process, and the material is prone to moisture absorption, limiting its use in the manufacturing of aircraft components.

Over 65 Years of Precision Aerospace Manufacturing Services

Established in 1966, Snowline remains the nation’s leading aerospace engineering and manufacturing providers through the application of cutting-edge materials science. Based out of Sacramento, California, we serve leading aviation and flight customers throughout the West Coast and beyond.

Design for Manufacturability

An Overview of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for Engineering and Product Development

design-for-manufacturability

Design for manufacturability (DFM) is an innovative approach to product design and engineering. The primary goal of DFM is to optimize products not only for performance and functionality, but also for the way in which they will be produced.

Applying DFM principles throughout the engineering phase of your project allows contract manufacturers such as Snowline to improve your product designs and minimize future production costs without compromising on quality. We can engage in sustainable DFM solutions for both new and existing products to streamline the manufacturing process and simplify your supply chain.

The Goals of Design for Manufacturability for Production Optimization

Design for manufacturability is increasingly crucial throughout the modern commercial and industrial sectors. Manufacturing requirements are stricter than ever, requiring the utmost in precision and consistency. Simultaneously, performance requirements are increasingly demanding: today’s fabricators must often be lighter in weight, stronger, more durable, more reliable…but also more cost-effective and more sustainable to produce.

DFM is an ongoing engineering process that addresses all of these demands, beginning with the design stages of your project and carrying on through the end of each product’s lifecycle.

To Summarize the Basic Goals of Design for Manufacturability (DFM):

  • To identify any potential manufacturability issues and to streamline the manufacturing process by comparing multiple design iterations and alternatives.
  • To eliminate any unnecessary product design features which complicate the manufacturing process through additional production steps or unneeded complexity.
  • To ensure that quality issues do not arise in the future stages of the product’s lifecycle such as during installation/removal, maintenance, or retooling.
  • To eliminate any unnecessary costs, complexities, and complications from the manufacturing process and produce the highest quality, most cost-effective and sustainable products possible.

A Single-Source Engineering and Manufacturing Provider

Snowline has developed innovative engineering and manufacturing solutions for leading providers worldwide since 1966. From design optimization and product enhancement to complete fabrication to turnkey assembly, we provide complete contract manufacturing services to streamline your project and simplify your supply chain.

AWS Certified Welding Shop

Why You Should Partner with an AWS Certified Welding Shop

Sheetmetal Welding

The American Welding Society (AWS) provides certification for various unique welding procedures and applications – including, of course, the highly specialized aerospace welding sector. This certification program is designed to ensure that each welder employed by an AWS certified fabrication shop possesses the training, skills, and experience needed to reliably tackle today’s difficult industrial welding projects.

The main purpose of AWS certification is to ensure quality and accuracy throughout any custom welding project, and to ensure absolute consistency from one component to the next. This is why customers should virtually always choose an AWS certified welding shop – especially in the case of aerospace fabrication projects, which demand the utmost in precision craftsmanship.

An Overview of Snowline’s AWS Certified Welding Services

Snowline’s integrated weld shop and fabrication departments are outfitted with a full range of cutting-edge welding technologies capable of accommodating today’s aerospace industry and beyond. From fusion and resistance welding to spot welding and torch brazing, we offer a full suite of state-of-the-art welding solutions – all backed by the relevant AWS certifications.

Over 6,000 sq.-ft of Production Space for Industrial Welding Projects

The weld department occupies 6,000 square feet and is equipped for five full-time welders to offer unbeatable turnaround times and rapid response. All of our the expert welders employed by Snowline Engineering are certified to weld to the following quality standards:

  • AWS D17.1 Fusion Welding for Aerospace Applications
  • AWS D17.2 Spot and Seam Welding for Aerospace Applications
  • Lockheed Martin STP 55-104 Fusion Welding
  • Lockheed Martin C-1421 Resistance Welding (Spot and Seam Welding)
  • Lockheed Martin STP 55-303 Brazing (Torch), Copper, Steel, Nickel and Cobalt Alloys

Our experienced team of welders and fabricators also hold the following material-specific certifications, ensuring superior weld quality and consistency regardless of the metal type required.

  • Snowline Engineering AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code for Steel
  • Snowline Engineering AWS D1.2 Structural Welding Code for Aluminum
  • Snowline Engineering AWS D1.3 Structural Welding Code for Sheet Steel
  • Snowline Engineering AWS D1.6 Structural Welding Code for Stainless Steel

A Specialized AWS Certified Weld Shop for the Aerospace Industry and Beyond

Snowline is an AS9100D certified American contract manufacturer serving today’s flight sector and beyond, backed over half a century of innovation and experience. Our AWS certified welding department enables us to complete your project with the assured quality and accuracy that your precision products demand.

Snowline’s State-of-the-Art Fabrication Facility Is Now 100% Green Energy

Snowline’s State-of-the-Art Fabrication Facility Is Now 100% Green Energy

Green Energy

Founded in 1966, Snowline Engineering is backed by a long history of investing in the industry’s latest manufacturing equipment and production facility technology. We are proud to announce that this investment now includes 100% green and clean energy for our state-of-the-art fabrication facility in Sacramento, California.

Committed to Environmentally friendly american manufacturing solutions

Snowline is a flexible American contract manufacturer dedicated to continually improving our processes and production efficiency.

On one hand, we constantly strive to improve our manufacturing capabilities and capacity to better serve our customers’ supply chains. Simultaneously, we aim to minimize our carbon footprint in the process to deliver the most sustainable fabrication services possible.

Snowline’s Investment in Green Manufacturing Technology Includes:

  •  Lighting was converted to LED to reduce power requirements
  •  Installed 576 solar modules generating 225 Kw of power.
  •  Installed e gauge monitoring system which tracks our power generation against consumption to raise awareness of our energy requirements.

Streamlined and Sustainable Contract Manufacturing Services

Snowline has developed innovative engineering and manufacturing solutions for a range of commercial and industrial applications since 1966. Our 75,000 sq.-ft facility is integrated with the industry’s most state-of-the-art fabrication technologies along with highly efficient green energy systems in order to deliver the most sustainable contract manufacturing services possible.

Rocket Fuel Tank Rotator
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The Impact of Robotics and Factory Automation in the Aerospace Manufacturing Sector

The Impact of Robotics and Factory Automation in the Aerospace Manufacturing Sector

Machining Capabilities

Industrial robotics and factory automation have shaped the modern landscape of aerospace manufacturing and fabrication services.

Today’s highly advanced flight industries demand the utmost in precision and consistency from their products. At the same time, these projects often require high-volume capacity and/or rapid turnaround times for production. Achieving all of those goals while remaining price-competitive requires innovative contract manufacturing solutions integrated with factory automation and robotics.

The Advantages of Automated Robotics for Aerospace Manufacturing Services

  • Faster production speed and quicker project turnaround.
  • Higher volume capacity and “lights out” around-the-clock manufacturing.
  • Higher levels of precision and consistency for complex, close-tolerance aerospace components.
  • A more robust supply chain based on a domestic manufacturing source for your products.

Three Ways Robotics Are Utilized in Modern Aerospace Manufacturing

Robotic Welding Services

Robotic welding is critical to streamlining aerospace fabrication projects while maintaining precision weld quality. Aerospace welding is a highly repetitive process that requires absolute accuracy and consistency.

Robotic welding systems achieve much higher levels of productivity than human welders while achieving the same or better quality. Since aerospace welding can be a hazardous and intensive process, automated welding solutions also help improve the safety of our employees when compared to manual welding.

Automated Aerospace Assembly

Automating the assembly process will significantly streamline your aerospace project. Drilling, tapping, and fastening operations require a large amount of tedious work for manual operators – especially in the case of large airplane components like fuselages, body panels, chassis sections, and other structural assemblies. Robotic assembly systems automate the entire process – from tapping and drilling to reaming and threading – reducing labor costs while maintaining absolute quality.

 Put simply, many aerospace components require a vast number of custom-drilled holes and fasteners in order to securely install within the aircraft. Automating the drilling, fastening, and various assembly processes will drastically cut down your production time.

Automated Inspection and Quality Control Solutions

Today’s aviation and spaceflight sectors almost invariably demand close tolerances and extremely strict quality requirements. In other words, consistent quality assurance is absolutely critical. At the same time, detailed inspection procedures can add a lot of additional time to your production schedule.

Robot inspection systems are utilized to perform various non-destructive testing procedures such as ultrasonic testing, imaging, and metrology inspections. These automated quality control systems ensure precision with every product while minimally delaying the manufacturing process.

Over 65 Years of Precision Aerospace Manufacturing Services

Founded in 1966, Snowline has continually adopted the industry’s most capable production equipment to remain as one of America’s leading aerospace manufacturers. Located in Sacramento, California, our state-of-the-art facility is integrated with some of today’s most advanced robotic manufacturing equipment and factory automation systems.

Choosing an Aerospace Manufacturing Partner

5 Things to Consider When Choosing an Aerospace Manufacturing Partner

Yoke

In the modern world of precision aerospace manufacturing, not all providers are created equal. While plenty of machine shops and fabricators claim to offer the close-tolerance capabilities needed for aerospace production, most of these companies lack the industry experience and engineering innovation required to remain at the forefront of today’s aviation and spaceflight sectors.

Choosing an experienced aerospace manufacturing partner such as Snowline ensures the quality of your products and the long-term success of your project – along with a simpler, more reliable supply chain.

The Five Questions You Should Ask of Your Aerospace Manufacturing Company

How much industry experience does your aerospace manufacturer provide?

While many providers offer “aerospace manufacturing services” backed by precision machining and fabrication capabilities, the majority of providers out there don’t actually offer any meaningful experience in the aviation or spaceflight industries.

These providers may very well be able to produce your custom aerospace parts within acceptable specifications. However, they don’t provide the engineering expertise or industry connections that a dedicated aerospace manufacturer like Snowline does. We offer more than 65 years of innovation and experience serving state-of-the-art flight projects worldwide.

Does your aerospace provider offer complete in-house machining and fabrication services?

Complex aerospace manufacturing projects often necessitate numerous metalworking processes: fabrication, CNC machining, welding, turnkey assembly, etc. Partnering with a single-source aerospace manufacturer will help simplify your supply chain while ensuring consistent quality with every product.

What are your aerospace manufacturer’s quality certifications?

Custom aerospace manufacturing projects generally require the highest quality and consistency possible. That’s why it’s important to partner with a provider that is certified to deliver the precision that your custom aerospace parts demand.

Snowline is an AS9100D certified aerospace manufacturer – the industry standard for the modern aviation and spaceflight sectors. Our company is also certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards. Our facility includes an integrated welding department certified to AWS standards. These certifications combined with our robust quality control system ensure that Snowline delivers uncompromising precision with every component we produce in-house.

Should you choose an American manufacturer or offshore provider?

When compared to overseas providers, an American aerospace manufacturer can help your company avoid many of the supply chain issues that have saddled domestic providers for the last several years.

Our expertise includes optimizing your overall production planning to ensure the efficiency and sustainability of your project. Compared to offshoring, domestic aerospace providers like Snowline can offer a more reliable source of product deliveries with far fewer disruptions.

Over 65 Years of Precision Aerospace Manufacturing Services

Established in 1966, Snowline has evolved into one of the nation’s leading aerospace manufacturers and engineering providers. Based out of Sacramento, California, our company is proud to remain as one of the West Coast’s leading contract manufacturers for a diverse range of aviation and spaceflight projects.

Understanding the True Value of Benefits

Understanding the True Value of Benefits

Welder Smiling

Many jobseekers in the manufacturing industry make the mistake of focusing solely on the listed salaries or hourly pay rates when comparing potential workplaces. However, doing so ignores the true long-term value of additional benefits that you receive when you choose a career with a highly dedicated, quality-focused manufacturer such as Snowline Engineering.

SNOWLINE Engineering employee benefits

  • Company Paid Medical
  • Dental and Vision Insurance
  • Company Paid Long Term Disability and Life Insurance Plans
  • 401K plan with Company Contribution
  • Paid Vacation and Sick Time
  • Paid Holidays

saving for the future and retirement

A healthy 401K plan is the key to financial stability as you grow older and transition towards retirement. Even small contributions made regularly can grow into a healthy nest egg throughout the course of your career.

That’s why it’s imperative that you calculate the value of retirement benefits into your long-term finances, along with your regular paychecks or salary. Over time, the money put into your 401K can decide your financial stability once you decide to no longer work full time.

At Snowline, we offer our employees a generous 401K benefits package with paid company contributions.

THe difference between a job and a career in manufacturing

Are you looking for a short-term job to simply make a paycheck, or a long-term career that you can grow within – one that will potentially support you until retirement? If it’s the latter, then you have to consider the true value of benefits when you’re comparing open positions in the manufacturing realm. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up following a less stable career path while missing out on a lot of money, opportunities, and additional support along the way.

Learn More About Manufacturing Jobs vs. Careers

 

snowline: a great place to build a career

At Snowline Engineering, we have adopted a highly functional organization structure designed to facilitate employee productivity and administrative flexibility. That means we do everything we can to make your job easier and more efficient while being responsive to every employee’s unique strengths and needs.

The Benefits of a Single-Source Aerospace Manufacturing Supplier

The Benefits of a Single-Source Aerospace Manufacturing Supplier

Precision Engineering Solutions

Partnering with a single-source engineering and manufacturing service provider offers a number of key advantages to your aerospace project.

Single-source contract manufacturers such as Snowline Engineering are able to offer higher flexibility, responsiveness, and dedication to your project. Furthermore, our company is able to leverage over half a century of aviation manufacturing experience with our current leading industry connections to help ensure the efficiency, sustainability, and – ultimately – the success of your project.

What Is a Single-Source Aerospace Manufacturer?

Single-source manufacturing and engineering companies provide complete project management solutions for the production of your custom aerospace products. From the development of custom prototypes to the machining and fabrication of precision production parts, we can tackle your aviation project from beginning to end.

Snowline functions as your single point-of-contact for the entirety of the project. This streamlines communications, ensuring efficiency and responsiveness in every step of our customer services. Whereas multi-sourcing your project will have you coordinating with numerous providers – attempting to sync up production stages and quality controls – single-sourcing lets you focus on the other needs of your business while Snowline handles every aspect of product manufacturing.

The Primary Advantages of Single-Source Manufacturing and Engineering Services

A single-source aerospace provider is able to deliver the consistent quality and precision that is required for today’s aviation and flight components. This is especially beneficial to complex aerospace components and assemblies which require extensive engineering solutions. With Snowline, all aspects of engineering and manufacturing are integrated to ensure superior results that you and your customers can rely upon.

  • Higher quality and consistency for complex aerospace components and assemblies.
  • All aspects of your project are streamlined: from material procurement to manufacturing to delivery.
  • Far less administrative and logistical work required compared to multi-sourcing from numerous providers.
  • Faster lead times and potential cost savings due to our extensive network of industry connections and trusted vendors.

Your Single-Source American Manufacturer for the Aerospace Industry and Beyond

Snowline Engineering is an AS9100D certified American manufacturer with over half a century of industry-leading experience. Our company specializes in the custom manufacturing of precision products for the aerospace sector and beyond.

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