Accelerating a Defense Contractor’s Speed to Market
Xometry helped a Tier-1 defense contractor shorten its production schedule by six weeks when the sudden onset of a global conflict meant parts were needed immediately.
Traditional manufacturing lead times can hinder defense contractors’ ability to quickly transition from research and development to field-ready deployment. When a Tier-1 defense contractor’s complex R&D project required an immediate pivot to high-speed production, Xometry stepped in to transform a standard procurement process into an accelerated delivery model.
The Challenge: Sudden Demand Amidst Complexity
The project involved a complex bill of materials (BOM) exceeding 100 unique part numbers, each with multiple quantities. In addition to CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication, the parts needed to go through a multi-step finishing process.
The complexity of the project was further compounded by:
- Material scarcity: The project required rare materials that were difficult to source on short notice.
- Global instability: The onset of a global conflict transformed a routine R&D timeline into an urgent requirement for immediate delivery.
The Solution: Strategic Agility and On-Site Support
To meet the urgent deadline, Xometry tapped into its network of thousands of manufacturers to onboard additional partners to work on the project. Rather than waiting for full production runs, Xometry pivoted its strategy to deliver "deployable sets" — complete collections of parts that allowed the contractor to begin assembly immediately.
Key interventions included:
- Rapid network expansion: Xometry leveraged its existing network to identify and onboard five additional suppliers specifically for the project.
- On-site quality engineering: Xometry diverted quality engineering resources to the new supplier facilities to qualify first article inspections on-site, eliminating shipping delays between production and approval.
- Design for manufacturing (DFM) adjustments: Xometry suggested critical design changes, such as eliminating an undercut feature, which significantly saved machining time.
The Results: Cutting Weeks Off the Schedule
Xometry’s expertise and creative problem-solving allowed the contractor to overcome traditional manufacturing bottlenecks.
The bottom-line impact included:
- Lead time reduction: Xometry shortened the overall production schedule by six weeks.
- Rapid delivery: Some complete sets of parts were shipped within just one week of the request.
- Operational success: By involving 12 specialized partners, Xometry successfully managed the multi-step finishing and machining requirements under the new accelerated timeline.
“A traditional manufacturer would have still been quoting when we were delivering,” said Armando Martinez, vice president of aerospace and space explorations at Xometry.