Industry
Invar and Kovar Machining for Aerospace and Defense Programs
Aerospace and defense buyers use Invar 36 for tooling and structural stability and Kovar for hermetic electronics packaging. We are a matching service, not a shop: send your drawing and we connect you with up to three vetted shops who quote you directly.
Why Aerospace & Defense programs specify these alloys
Aerospace and defense programs use Invar 36 and Kovar for the same underlying reason as any other industry: expansion behavior that ordinary alloys cannot match. Invar 36 keeps assembly jigs, drill templates and structural test fixtures accurate across shop and hangar temperature swings. Kovar keeps electronics housings, connector bodies and headers sealed to glass and ceramic through repeated thermal cycling in service.
What differs in this industry is not the alloy but what buyers vet in a supplier: heat lot traceability back to the mill certificate, a first article inspection that proves the drawing was met, and engineering change control once production starts. None of that requires or implies that a matched shop holds a specific certification, and we make no such claims.
A second consideration unique to this industry is export control. Some aerospace and defense drawings are subject to ITAR or EAR; most commercial Invar and Kovar parts are not. Buyers should resolve that question with their own compliance function before sharing a drawing anywhere, including with us.
Where Aerospace & Defense uses Invar, Kovar and Alloy 42
Assembly tooling and fixtures
Invar 36 drill templates, jigs and structural test fixtures that hold hole position and geometry across temperature swings a steel fixture would not survive.
Hermetic electronics packaging
Kovar housings, connector bodies and headers sealed to glass or ceramic for avionics and defense electronics, built to survive service thermal cycling.
Supplier qualification
Programs vet traceability, first article inspection and change control before committing a shop to flight or defense hardware, beyond whatever a matching service can confirm.
Export-sensitive sourcing
Some drawings carry ITAR or EAR restrictions. Buyers determine classification with their own compliance team before sharing controlled technical data with any supplier.
What to put on the RFQ, and what to vet in a supplier
We match your RFQ. You still own supplier qualification. These lines get you a comparable quote and a shop that can answer the qualification questions your program asks.
State the alloy and spec (Invar 36 per ASTM F1684, Kovar per ASTM F15) and the heat lot traceability you need.
Say whether a first article inspection is required before production release, and in what report format.
Note the service temperature range and thermal cycling expectations for tooling or hermetic packages.
State your program stage and realistic volume, since a prototype shop and a production shop are not the same fit.
Flag any certification or registration requirement explicitly so it can be verified directly with the shop.
Never upload a drawing carrying an ITAR, EAR or other export control marking through the general RFQ form.
Aerospace & Defense guides
- Choosing a Supplier
Invar Machining for Aerospace Programs: What Buyers Actually Vet
What aerospace and defense buyers check in an Invar or Kovar machine shop beyond price: heat lot traceability, first article inspection and engineering change control.
- Materials
Where Aerospace Programs Use Invar 36 Tooling and Fixtures
Invar 36 assembly jigs, drill templates and test fixtures in aerospace: why fixture growth shows up as measurement error, and when the alloy's cost is worth it.
- Materials
Kovar Hermetic Packages for Defense and Avionics Electronics
Kovar housings, connector bodies and headers for defense and avionics electronics: production volume, qualification expectations and thermal cycling in service.
- Choosing a Supplier
ITAR, EAR and Invar or Kovar Parts: What Buyers Should Know
Plain-language guide to ITAR and EAR basics for buyers sourcing Invar or Kovar aerospace and defense parts. Educational only, not legal advice.
- Choosing a Supplier
Invar Mill Certifications: What a Certified Material Report Should Show
What a standard Invar 36 or Kovar mill cert includes, when to ask for measured CTE data, and how to read a certified material test report before it reaches your shop.
- Process
Reading an Invar CMM Inspection Report: What Each Number Means
How to read a CMM inspection report for a machined Invar part: measurement temperature, soak time, GD&T callouts and what to check before accepting parts.
- Materials
Machining Kovar for Glass to Metal Seals: What the Seal Needs
Kovar glass to metal seal machining: why ASTM F15 Kovar matches borosilicate glass, how it machines, the anneal and oxide steps before sealing and the RFQ.
Alloy pages: Invar 36 machining, Super Invar machining, Kovar machining, Alloy 42 machining. Spec numbers and CTE by temperature band on the Invar specs reference.
Have a drawing ready?
Send the short version now. We will ask for anything missing. For full details up front use the full RFQ form. Reply within 24 business hours.
Your files go only to the shops we match. Ask for an NDA and nothing is shared until it is signed.
Questions from Aerospace & Defense buyers
Something else? Email .
Are your matched shops AS9100, ITAR or otherwise certified?
We do not certify shops and do not claim any matched shop holds AS9100 certification, ITAR registration or any other credential. If a certification matters to your program, ask the shop directly for its certificate and scope, and verify it with the issuing body yourself.
What is the difference between Invar 36 and Kovar for this industry?
Invar 36 is chosen for the lowest possible expansion, used in tooling, fixtures and structural parts where drift is the enemy. Kovar is chosen because its expansion matches glass and ceramic, used in hermetic electronics packages where a seal has to survive thermal cycling.
Can I upload a drawing marked export controlled through your RFQ form?
No. We do not store, review or transmit export-controlled technical data. If your drawing carries an ITAR, EAR or similar marking, or you are unsure, contact your own trade compliance counsel before sharing it with anyone, including us.
Do you machine these parts yourselves?
No. We are a matching service. We connect your RFQ with up to three shops experienced in Invar or Kovar for aerospace and defense applications, and you place the order and manage qualification directly with the shop you choose.