press releases

LAI International facility certified for Nadcap conventional machining

Becomes world's first company to earn quality accreditation





five-axis grinding
A technician operates a five-axis grinding workstation at Rich Technology International, an LAI International
company, in Scarborough, Maine.




SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ., May 13, 2010 — LAI International, Inc., a strategic supplier of precision components and subassemblies for original equipment manufacturers, announced its Maine production facility is the world’s first manufacturer to achieve Nadcap certification for conventional machining.
   Rich Technology International, an LAI International company, became the first company in the world certified for Nadcap conventional machining May 5. Its Nadcap-accredited conventional machining processes include broaching, edge treatment, hole-making, grinding, milling and turning.
    “LAI volunteered as a pilot program, completed rigorous audits and became the first ever to be approved and accredited,” Rick Scott, quality manager, Rich Technology International, said.
   “We earned Nadcap accreditation by demonstrating our ongoing commitment to quality through satisfying our customer requirements and industry specifications,” Bree Costas, plant manager, Rich Technology International, said. “This achievement represents hard work and attention to detail by the entire team.”
   All of LAI International’s five manufacturing facilities are certified to IS0 9001:2008 and AS9100. In addition to Nadcap certification for conventional machining, Rich Technology International also is Nadcap certified for nonconventional machining, including laser machining, welding and electrical discharge machining or EDM. LAI Southwestern Laser, LAI International’s facility in Tucson, Ariz., also is Nadcap certified for laser machining.
   “Achieving Nadcap accreditation is not easy,” said Arshad Hafeez, executive director of Global Business Development and Corporate Strategies, Research & Development, Performance Review Institute. “It is one of the ways in which the aerospace industry identifies those who excel at manufacturing quality product through superior special processes.”
   Nadcap, formerly NADCAP, the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program, is a global cooperative standards-setting program for aerospace engineering, defense and and related industries. The Nadcap program, as a part of Performance Review Institute, was created in 1990 by the Society of Automotive Engineers and is headquartered in Warrendale, Penn.
   “Companies such as Rich Technology International, an LAI International company, work hard to obtain this status and they should be justifiably proud of it,” Hafeez said. “PRI is proud to support continual improvement in the aerospace industry by helping companies such as Rich Technology International and LAI International be successful, and we look forward to continuing to assist the industry.”
   Nadcap's membership of prime contractors meet to coordinate industry-wide standards for special processes and products. Through the Performance Review Institute, Nadcap provides independent certification of manufacturing processes for the industry. The next Nadcap meeting is set for June 21-25, 2010 in Singapore. 

About LAI International, Inc.
   LAI International, Inc. is a leading contract manufacturer of make-complete precision-engineered components and assemblies for aerospace, power generation, defense, medical and other advanced technology industries. The company’s technology, engineering and manufacturing solutions are used to build components for airframes, aircraft engines, power generators, defense systems, medical devices and other industrial applications.
   LAI has developed strategic relationships with leading global OEMs and operates five U.S. manufacturing facilities, with locations in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Tucson, Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine — all of which are IS0 9001:2008 and AS9100 certified. The company also offers Nadcap-certified conventional and non-conventional machining processes.
   LAI has developed innovative applications in advanced machining processes, including waterjet cutting and drilling, laser cutting, drilling, welding and heat-treating, EDM drilling, CNC EDM, high-speed EDM, conventional CNC machining, five-axis CNC machining and precision grinding. The company also provides gage calibration, tooling production, air-flow inspection and additional manufacturing services.
   For more information, see www.LAIco.com. 
  
Quick Facts about LAI International
- Five U.S. manufacturing facilities: Phoenix, Tucson, Minneapolis, Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine
- Corporate headquarters located in Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Founded in 1979
- All facilities ISO 9001:2008 | AS9100 certified
- Nadcap certified for conventional and nonconventional machining
- GE Customer Impact of the Year Award winner
- Lockheed Martin Corporate STAR Supplier
- Northrop Grumman Platinum Source Preferred Supplier
- ACE Corporate Excellence Award winner, 2008-09
- An Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private U.S. company, three-time award winner, 2007-09