Industry
Defence
Components.
Structural enclosures, bracket assemblies, and equipment housings requiring full batch traceability from raw alloy to finished component. X-ray inspection to ASTM E505. GDC in LM25 for structural integrity applications.
Sector Overview
Defence
Defence procurement applies the strictest documentation and traceability requirements of any sector SAPL works in. Every component must be traceable from the OES-verified alloy heat through casting, inspection, machining, and final release — with records retained for the programme life. No exceptions. This level of discipline is built into SAPL's quality system as standard, not applied only to defence contracts.
For structural and load-bearing defence components, GDC in LM25 is the preferred process. The lower inherent porosity of gravity-cast components, combined with T6 heat treatment to 230+ MPa tensile strength, provides a margin of structural integrity that HPDC cannot match. Where radiographic quality is specified, X-ray inspection to ASTM E505 or EN 12681 is conducted in-house before machining.
SAPL's current quality certification is ISO 9001:2015. We are not yet AS9100 certified, but our quality system documentation — FMEA, control plan, measurement system analysis, and inspection records — is aligned with the process rigour expected by defence primes and their Tier-1 suppliers.
What OEMs Require
Understanding your requirements
These are the recurring requirements SAPL sees from OEMs and procurement teams in this sector — and how our process and quality system addresses them.
Full batch traceability
Continuous traceability from OES-verified alloy heat to finished component dispatch record. Batch records include alloy chemistry, casting parameters, X-ray results, machining process, and inspection sign-off. Records retained for 7 years minimum.
X-ray inspection to specified acceptance criteria
Where drawings specify radiographic quality, SAPL inspects to ASTM E505 or EN 12681 in-house. Radiographic films and digital records retained. Rejection and disposition are documented for each non-conformance.
T6 mechanical properties
GDC components in LM25 can be heat treated to T6 specification, delivering 230+ MPa tensile strength and hardness in the 75–95 BHN range. Heat treatment records are provided with every batch.
Documentation to programme requirements
Material certificates, inspection reports, first-article documentation, and process records are provided in formats meeting programme requirements. Customer audit access to quality system records is supported.
Capabilities
Processes that serve this sector
These capabilities are most relevant to Defence component programmes.
Gravity Die Casting
LM25 aluminium alloy cast in permanent steel dies using gravity fill.
CNC & VMC Machining
Over 20 CNC turning centres and Vertical Machining Centres — including 4th-axis VMC for complex geometries.
Contract Manufacturing
From raw casting to finished, inspected, and packed component — under one roof, one management team, one Certificate of Conformance.
Get Started
Sourcing Defence components?
Share your drawings — STEP, IGES, DXF, or PDF. We'll review manufacturability, confirm the right process and alloy, and respond with a technical and commercial assessment within 72 hours.