Aero Metals Alliance (AMA) is delighted to be a member of Military Systems & Technology.
The Military Systems & Technology portal provides comprehensive information and news on defence companies, associations, and events for the international defence and aerospace industry.
Since it was established in 2006, Military Systems & Technology has grown to become the go-to resource for Ministries and Departments of Defence, defence procurement organisations, defence purchasers, engineers, Armed Forces heads, soldiers, sailors, and airmen around the world.
As its newest member, AMA was featured in the Spring 2020 of Military Systems & Technology Magazine.
The full article is reproduced here, with the kind permission of the publisher.
In an uncertain world some things never change
Five world class metal suppliers:
Gould Alloys, Wilsons Metals, Service Centres Aero (SCA), Progressive Alloy Steels Unlimited (PASU), and Sunshine Metals.
Aero Metals Alliance (AMA) is an organisation established specifically to provide a dedicated offering to the global defence and aerospace manufacturing industries.
AMA comprises 5 of the world’s leading suppliers of metals - 2 UK-based distribution businesses: Gould Alloys and Wilsons Metals, together with 3 overseas businesses; Service Centres Aero (SCA), Progressive Alloy Steels Unlimited (PASU) and Sunshine Metals. All 5 have established their own reputations for industry experience, knowledge and expertise.
Whilst each of the businesses has particular strengths which have developed over the years to match the needs of its ‘local’ customers, the Alliance provides a structure enabling a pooling of resources and technical knowledge covering the entire range of customer requirements through a coordinated effort with worldwide reach. AMA’s proposition is to bring a global supply chain to the industry via a network of strategically located service centres to supply required alloys and near net shaping to national and international customers.
The value of a metals alliance to the OEMs is a comprehensive offering of aviation and aerospace, defence and industrial alloys with value-added processing, along with the ability to be agile in investing in people, plant and technology to develop collective business platforms in a lean fashion supported by superior quality and delivery. The extended range of products offered through AMA is also reflected in the range of services provided.
Each company has its own processing capabilities, which collectively offer: cutting, shape cutting, milling, surfacing, sawing, drilling, guillotining, waterjet cutting, USI testing, heat treating or re-tempering, forgings and machining to near net shape. As well as managing a supply chain that can provide a whole host of other added value services specific to its customers’ requirements.
Customers are increasingly looking to optimise their production processes. This is primarily driven by the need to maximise value-added in-house spindle time for core business activities leaving AMA to undertake some of the machining processes. This can take many forms, from simple cutting to more intricate processing in which near net shape pieces are supplied. In addition to freeing up time for customers and OEMs to focus on more profitable final processing, near net shape processes can improve product quality, reduce variability and enhance component design functionality.
AMA provides an easier route through which OEMs and sub-contractors in defence and aerospace manufacturing can source their metals, their processing requirements and services, through just one point of contact.
Jane Bradshaw is the MD at Gould Alloys, UK based distributor of high integrity ferrous and non-ferrous metals: “Manufacturers are searching for the ultimate peace of mind in materials supply. Materials stockholding, first stage machining and supply contracts, designed around our customers’ needs, enable Gould to offer the complete package. We can hold stock for our customers’ material, processed to the correct stage, in bespoke areas of our warehouse, ensuring confidence in material availability and supply, even on a just-in-time or DLF basis. This enables customers to free up storage space to concentrate and develop core activities to grow their own business.”