Fabrication Services

    Fab Services

    Consisting of precision machining and welding capabilities, Fabrication Services supports fabrication of flight hardware, ground support equipment, test hardware, and facility hardware. Expert machinists and welders have extensive experience with exotic alloys like Monel®, Inconel®, titanium, carbon, and alloy steels.

    WSTF maintains a 18,000 ft2 (1700 m2) fabrication facility with a staff of expert machinists and welders with over 20 years average experience. The fabrication shop has extensive experience with exotic alloys like Monel®, Inconel®, titanium, and carbon and alloy steels.

    Fabrication Services is certified to manufacture NASA flight hardware for the space shuttle and the ISS programs. WSTF is certified to ISO 9001 and the Fabrication Shop is supported by an in-shop, fully integrated Quality Assurance Department.

    WSTF Fabrication Shop personnel have extensive experience with CAD/CAM software including TeKsoft®, Pro/E®, and Pro/Manufacture®. Shop personnel can manufacture parts from customer-provided 2-D or 3-D CAD files or produce CAD files to customer requirements. CAM capabilities include interface with three turning centers (lathes) and two machining centers (mills).

    WSTF has state-of-the-art computer numerically controlled (CNC) milling capabilities. Milling operations are performed on very precise, CNC milling machines with commonly held tolerances to ± 0.0002 in.(± 5 µm). The WSTF machinists have extensive experience in milling aluminum, steel, stainless steels, and exotic metals such as Monel®, Inconel®, and titanium. Additional CNC machining capabilities include a vertical machining center 40 x 20 x 25 in. (100 x 50 x 25 cm), 15-position tool changer, 4th axis capabilities, 15 HP, 8000 RPM.

    WSTF has state-of-the-art CNC turning capabilities. Turning operations are performed on very precise CNC turning machines, with commonly held tolerances to ± 0.0002 in. (± 5 µm). WSTF has extensive experience in turning aluminum, steel, stainless steels, and exotic metals such as Monel®, Inconel®, and titanium. Additional CNC turning capabilities are available up to 10 in. (25 cm) diameter, 40 in. (100 cm) center-to-center travel.

    Conventional shop equipment includes nine lathes and six mills. Several lathes and milling machines are dedicated to the manufacture of flight hardware. This allows the machines to hold the tight tolerances required for NASA flight hardware. Conventional lathe capability includes up to 26 in. (66 cm) diameter and 94 in. (240 cm) center-to-center travel. Several machines have digital readouts with 0.0002 in. (± 5 µm) resolution.

    Other capabilities include:
    • Radial drill press
    • Shears
    • Punches
    • Brakes
    • Tool and surface grinders
    WSTF maintains certified welders and procedures covering most ferrous and non-ferrous applications including:
    • Carbon steels
    • Stainless steels
    • Inconel®
    • Monel®
    • Bi-metallic
    • Aluminum
    Welders maintain certification for flight hardware in accordance with AWS B2.1 and AMS STD-1595 standards and pressure system applications in accordance with ASME Section IX.

    Welding capabilities include:
    • Six shop machines
    • Five portable machines
    • Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
    • Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
    • Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
    • Plasma cutting
    • Three GTAW automatic orbital tube welders
    Sample Parts

    The WSTF Fabrication Shop has produced parts in support of the ISS Oxygen Recharge Compressor Assembly (ORCA) project. The parts are comprised primarily of Monel® K-500 and stainless steel, manufactured to tolerances as tight as ± 0.0002 in. (± 5 µm). WSTF is certified to ISO 9001, and fabrication services are supported by an in-shop, fully integrated quality assurance function.

    Quality assurance equipment includes:
    • Coordinate measuring machine (CMM)
    • Optical comparator
    • Surface plates
    • Dial-bore gauges
    • Pin gauges
    • Height gauges
    • Calipers
    Micrometers

    In-shop designated verifiers and independent quality assurance personnel perform frequent in-process inspections to ensure the parts stay within specifications. Experienced machinists are trained and certified as designated verifiers to perform in-process inspections Inspection equipment is calibrated at WSTF in accordance with standards traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

    For more information, contact Clifford Madrid, (575) 524-5158 or clifford.d.madrid@nasa.gov.

Fabrication Data Sheets