Uni-Cast Receives RTX Premier Award for Excellence in Innovation and Customer Collaboration

_{Editor’s Note: The following article is published as submitted by the author. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society.  NFFS does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the content.}

Uni-Cast Recognized as Exceptional Supplier by Lockheed Martin for 2024

Londonderry, NH – Uni-Cast, a leading manufacturer of precision aluminum investment castings, has been honored as one of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's 15 Exceptional Small Business Suppliers for 2024. The recognition, awarded by Lockheed's Global Supply Chain Operations, underscores Uni-Cast’s outstanding performance and commitment to excellence.

Uni-Cast’s role as a key supplier has been marked by close collaboration, technical innovation, and dependable delivery performance.  Throughout the year, Uni-Cast worked closely with Lockheed Martin to resolve complex engineering challenges.  These efforts included discussions around producibility enhancements, drawing specification clarifications and dimensional concerns - all of which led to improved casting designs and manufacturing outcomes.

Uni-Cast was also tapped to take over a first-time build of a critical casting, previously managed by an underperforming incumbent supplier.  Accepting the challenge, Uni-Cast welcomed Lockheed Martin leadership and program team members to its facility.  Uni-Cast showcased its progress on the build and outlined strategies to meet the stringent program requirements.  Despite the pressures of this high-stakes initiative, Uni-Cast completed First Article Inspection ahead of schedule and was able to bring in production deliveries without additional cost.

Headquartered in Londonderry, New Hampshire, Uni-Cast has long been recognized for its engineering and manufacturing expertise in aluminum investment casting for the aerospace and defense industries. The company has solidified its global leadership by investing heavily in advanced technologies and production capabilities.  Recent capital improvements include:

• A new robotic shell line with 1,600-lb handling capacity and 79-inch tanks
• A five-foot autoclave to support larger-scale castings
• Two six-foot heat treat furnaces for enhanced thermal processing
• Upgraded electric melters in the foundry
• Installation of advanced X-ray inspection systems for quality assurance

These enhancements enable Uni-Cast to produce some of the largest and most complex aluminum investment castings in the world, opening the door to entirely new applications and markets.

This spirit of innovation is also embodied by Cera-Met, Uni-Cast’s sister company located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Like Uni-Cast, Cera-Met is a recognized leader in aluminum investment casting, further expanding the group's capability and reach.

Uni-Cast’s unwavering commitment to innovation, quality, and customer service continues to position it as a vital partner to some of the world’s most demanding aerospace and defense programs.