Rotor Clip Qualifies New Family of Aerospace Piston and Sealing Rings, Closing a Critical Supply Gap for Major Aircraft Manufacturer
Rotor Clip, a global leader in the manufacture of retaining rings, wave springs, and hose clamps, has qualified and moved into production a new family of high-performance piston and sealing rings for aircraft pneumatic systems and bleed valves. The program closes a critical supply gap for a major aerospace manufacturer that had been unable to find a supplier capable of meeting the combined performance, volume, and delivery requirements for these components.
The qualification program was completed in less than half the time typically required for comparable aerospace programs, which often exceed 18 months. Six part configurations have been qualified and transitioned into production, with additional configurations in development.
Although the components fall outside Rotor Clip’s traditional product line, the company applied its established capabilities in precision ring manufacturing, including coiling, heat treatment, and inspection, to move directly into development and qualification. Rotor Clip’s extensive raw material inventory allowed development and testing to begin immediately, avoiding the delays associated with extended material procurement. Frequent technical exchange, onsite engagement, and rapid internal decision-making across engineering, quality, production, and leadership kept the program on its accelerated schedule.
“When customers come to us with a difficult application, our first question isn’t whether it’s something we’ve made before,” said Jonathan Slass, co-president of Rotor Clip. “We evaluate whether our engineering expertise, production systems, and quality controls can provide a viable path forward. When there is, we’re prepared to work alongside the customer to develop the processes, tooling, and manufacturing systems required to make it happen.”
To support the program, Rotor Clip invested in:
- CNC machining equipment
- Custom tooling, fixturing, and gauging
- Advanced vision inspection systems
- In-house leak testing equipment
- Specialized inspection processes
The result is a validated manufacturing and inspection process for a new aerospace product family, a stable supply chain for a previously unavailable component category and expanded internal capabilities to support future aerospace applications.
To read the full customer success story, download https://www.rotorclip.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Customer-Success-Story-Solving-a-Critical-Aerospace-Supply-Challenge.pdf or visit www.rotorclip.com to explore the story and learn more about the company’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities.