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Machining Its Way into Aerospace

Everaldo López - Mimsa
Director of Operations

STORY INLINE POST

Thu, 12/01/2016 - 17:18

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Q: What prompted Mimsa to enter the aerospace sector?

A: Mimsa testing the water in the aerospace industry was made possible by the company’s versatility, evident in our inclusion of machining and CNC services, inverse engineering, repairs and maintenance services and welding machinery. We are a 100 percent Mexican company focused on supplying manufactured goods to the industrial sector. The aerospace industry is unique in that it never stops growing regardless of economic conditions. This is particularly interesting because the industrial sector is usually the most affected when economic crises hit or the exchange rate is unstable. But whenever the economy is struggling, all industries reduce their production except aerospace, which runs projects at all times and always needs suppliers.

At Mimsa, we are not completely focused on aerospace, we work with diverse industries. Many companies produce and manufacture parts for aircraft. We decided to focus on the less limited segment of machining aircraft parts and tools for production, such as aerospace fixture manufacture, with stainless steel and thermic treatment or aerospace mold manufacturing for helixes. We started working with aerospace clients in 2012 and obtained our first certification in 2014. This certification allows us to participate in manufacturing processes and we are confident that in the future we will also be part of the design process, especially since many of our clients have already asked us for product designs.

Q: What strategy is the company following to increase its presence in the industry?

A: Aerospace represents 2 percent of our sales with regards to the parts we manufacture directly for aircraft. Machine manufacturing for aerospace companies increases this percentage but we have to work on getting more clients. We work with Safran, Snecma and Boeing.

For Snecma, we manufacture machines but we are hopeful it will contract us for the production of specific parts in the near future. We want to ensure we comply with the industry’s requirements before expanding. The company has just obtained an additional certificate for handling 3-D aerospace designs and we are developing an internal quality system to act as a standard for all our production.

 To work in aerospace we must maintain certain standards and meet several requirements. Developing a strong presence in the business takes many years and we are willing to work hard to make Mimsa a household name among aerospace companies. As part of our long-term plan, we would like to split Mimsa in two and have a specialized division for aerospace.

Q: What challenges have you faced entering the industry?

A: The nature of the industry exponentially increases the challenges we have to overcome to succeed. Among the obstacles is locating skilled personnel as well as the necessary equipment and software. Having experienced workers is necessary so we can complement their skills with our knowledge. The aerospace sector is in constant growth and it always needs investment. Participating in the industry would be much easier if we had support and funding from the government to participate in more complex projects.

There are many positive aspects to balance the challenges. In Queretaro, there is plenty of collaboration between private companies and academia. We received support from the aerospace cluster, for example. When we were first trying to enter the industry we approached them and asked for recommendations. The cluster’s support was vital to our breaking into the industry.

Q: What is the next step you need to take to consolidate in aerospace?

A: We want our aerospace business to take shape so we need to continue learning from what we are doing. Investing in new technology is a priority, especially in more CNC machinery. Mimsa has many things to offer the sector. We are used to meeting urgent delivery times demanded by the industrial sector and we are confident we can thrive in a demanding sector such as aerospace. As a Mexican enterprise, funded with Mexican capital, we are determined to play a leading role in the aerospace sector in Mexico.

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