OPEN MIND Takes Off in the Aerospace Industry
hyperMILL® Suitable for AS9100/EN9100-Compliant Processes
20.10.2026 — A growing number of manufacturers in the aerospace industry are relying on OPEN MIND’s hyperMILL® CAD/CAM suite. The software is integrated into processes designed in accordance with the European standard EN 9100 or its international counterpart, AS9100, to meet the industry’s stringent quality management requirements. As user feedback demonstrates, hyperMILL® offers numerous machining strategies that are central to typical aerospace manufacturing requirements.
Components intended to fly or be launched into orbit must be lightweight yet sturdy - that would be a simplified description of the requirements for manufacturing in the aerospace industry. Machining tasks range from engine and landing gear to structural and eVTOL parts, all the way to rocket components such as thrust frames, fasteners and fuel tanks. The geometries are sometimes complex, and the requirements for surface finish and dimensional accuracy are usually exceptionally high. With unique 5-axis technologies, powerful turning and milling strategies, and specialized solution packages for blisks and impellers, hyperMILL® provides the necessary capabilities. The NC code-based machining simulation with hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining also ensures that costly errors are avoided.
“We knew exactly what to expect on the machine because the simulation matched reality exactly,” says Denton Lewis, CAM Manager at Western Precision Products, an aerospace contract manufacturer.
hyperMILL® offers powerful milling and turning technologies for machining difficult-to-machine materials, such as engine rings.
Engine components are among the most demanding components in the aviation industry.
Efficient, reliable processes
The aerospace industry uses many materials that are difficult to machine: titanium, Inconel, superalloys, and fiber-reinforced composites. One of hyperMILL®’s strengths is its ability to deliver machining strategies that minimize wear on tools and machines, ensuring precise and safe processes. Optimized High-Performance Cutting (HPC) strategies simplify the handling of large chip volumes. Shreeram Aerospace & Defense machines 10.5 kg components with numerous pockets and walls that are in some cases only two millimeters thick from a raw aluminum blank weighing about 150 kg to manufacture antenna reflector panels.
“Our surface quality has improved from Ra 0.8 µm to Ra 0.4 µm, even though the pocket walls are often only two millimeters thick,” reports Sandeep Satani, Chairman and Managing Director of Shreeram Aerospace & Defence LLP.
At the same time, the company was able to reduce the roughing time for these reflector panels from 40 to 30 hours using hyperMILL® MAXX Machining.
In Practice and Research
“Components machined with hyperMILL® are already orbiting the Earth in satellites, and our CAM system is gaining more and more supporters in the aerospace industry. Our customers in this sector will continue to benefit greatly from our technology, because through our collaboration with research institutes, we are at the forefront of the development of new materials and manufacturing methods for the aerospace industry,” explains Dirk Lehmann, Team Leader for Sales North at OPEN MIND Technologies AG.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Aerospace: hyperMILL® is suitable for integration into AS9100/EN9100-compliant manufacturing processes.
- Complex machining tasks: 5-axis technologies, turning and milling strategies, and specialized solutions for blisks and impellers.
- Process reliability: NC code-based simulation with hyperMILL® VIRTUAL Machining for safe and reliable manufacturing.
- Measurable improvements: Shreeram Aerospace & Defence has reduced roughing time from 40 to 30 hours and improved surface roughness from Ra 0.8 to Ra 0.4 µm.
hyperMILL® MAXX Machining: Titanium Landing Gear
This titanium landing gear component demonstrates the capabilities of hyperMILL®’s high-performance strategies, which enable efficient and precise machining with high surface quality.