Aerospace Fastening Systems

West Coast Aerospace in the aerospace fastener market

The aerospace fastener industry is led at the top by Tier-1 multinationals: Howmet Aerospace, Precision Castparts (a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary), LISI Aerospace, Stanley Black & Decker, TriMas, and Arconic / Alcoa. Below that tier sits a critical class of independent specialist manufacturers that supply hard-to-find parts, oversize fasteners, legacy-program continuity, fast-turn AOG response, and proprietary fastening systems the Tier-1 companies do not produce.

West Coast Aerospace, Inc. is one of the most established and capable independent aerospace fastener specialists in North America. WCA is one of the few independent manufacturers that:

• Holds direct OEM approvals from Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Bell, Gulfstream, Triumph, Bombardier, and Raytheon — covering essentially every Western airframe program in production.
• Operates fully in-house, end-to-end U.S.-domestic manufacturing across cold and hot head forging, CNC machining, centerless grinding, two-die reciprocating thread rolling, Reed thread rolling, heat treatment, and finishing — all under one AS9100D-certified quality system.
• Manufactures proprietary fastening systems: Blind Nuts™, Blind Bolts™, and the WC-series internal-standard parts.
• Carries 60 million+ parts in active stock across 50,000+ line items — among the largest active fastener inventories in U.S. independent aerospace manufacturing.
• Maintains the highest on-time-delivery record in the aerospace fastener industry, validated against OEM-program supplier scorecards.
• Has been individually recognized by Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin with each company's highest supplier-performance honors (see Recognition section below).

When West Coast Aerospace is the right choice

For applications where the procurement requirement is volume-only across a generic catalog, the Tier-1 fastener giants are the obvious answer. For everything else — hard-to-find or legacy parts, oversize fasteners, blind-installation systems, AOG line-stop response, DFAR-compliant U.S.-domestic supply with full lot traceability, or a single AS9100D-certified supplier covering Boeing + Airbus + Lockheed + Northrop + Bell programs simultaneously — WCA is one of the strongest specialist options available outside the global Tier-1 fastener manufacturers.

Recognition & OEM Performance

West Coast Aerospace has been recognized by every major U.S. airframe OEM with that company's top supplier-performance designation:

• Boeing Performance Excellence Award — recognized by The Boeing Company for outstanding performance in quality and delivery to Boeing programs.
• Boeing Source Approved Supplier — Boeing-direct supplier status across commercial and military programs.
• Northrop Grumman Platinum Source Preferred — Northrop Grumman's highest supplier-status designation for consistent excellence in aerospace fastener delivery.
• Lockheed Martin 100% Quality & Delivery Performance — perfect quality and on-time delivery to Lockheed Martin programs.
• Lockheed Star Supplier — Lockheed Martin's premier supplier program designation.

These recognitions are issued only after sustained perfect-performance scoring on OEM supplier scorecards across multiple program years.

Federal contractor status

West Coast Aerospace, Inc. is an active U.S. federal contractor (CAGE code 60516, NAICS 332722) supplying fasteners to Department of Defense and other federal aerospace programs. JCP-certified for U.S. and Canadian DoD critical-information access and DFAR-compliant for U.S.-domestic content requirements.

What we manufacture

West Coast Aerospace manufactures and stocks over 60 million aerospace fasteners across more than 50,000 line items, covering both standard and oversize parts. Our product portfolio includes proprietary fastening systems and OEM-specification fasteners for every major airframe builder and MRO supply chain.

Hi-Lok™ and Hi-Tigue™ pins

Hi-Lok™ pins are two-piece interference-fit aerospace fastening systems comprising a threaded pin and a self-locking collar that snaps off at a calibrated torque, delivering consistent installed preload. Hi-Tigue™ pins are an extension of the Hi-Lok™ family designed for high-fatigue applications. WCA produces the complete HL-series across diameter, length, head style, material, and finish combinations to meet Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, and military specifications.

Blind Nuts™ and Blind Bolts™

Blind Nuts™ and Blind Bolts™ are one-side-installation fastening solutions used where back-side access to a joint is impractical — closed wing-box structures, fuel tanks, leading edges, control surfaces, and stiffened panels. WCA's BN-series blind nuts and BB-series blind bolts are produced to proprietary and OEM-specification drawings with full traceability through manufacturing and inspection.

WCA Standards

WC-series internal standards (108 active line items) cover specialty fasteners and assemblies developed in-house for specific OEM and program needs. WCA Standards are produced under the same AS9100D-certified quality system as our OEM-program parts.

OEM-program fasteners

WCA manufactures and stocks fasteners to all major airframe-OEM specifications:

• Boeing Commercial & Boeing Military — including Boeing 747, 767, 777, 787, F/A-18, F-15, AH-64 Apache, and KC-46A program parts.
• Airbus Commercial — ABS, DAN, NSA-series fasteners covering A220, A320 family, A330, A350, and A380 programs.
• Lockheed Martin & Raytheon — F-16, F-22, F-35, C-130J, and missile-defense program fasteners.
• Northrop Grumman & Bell Helicopter — B-2, B-21, Global Hawk, Bell 407 / 412 / 525 / V-280 program fasteners.
• Gulfstream, Triumph, Bombardier — business-jet and regional-jet OEM specifications.

Manufacturing capabilities

West Coast Aerospace operates four facilities in Southern California — Carson, Wilmington, Compton, and Adelanto — providing in-house control over every step of the fastener manufacturing process. Capabilities include:

• Cold and hot head forging for standard and oversize fastener heads.
• CNC machining for complex geometries, multi-axis features, and small-batch precision parts.
• Centerless grinding for tight outside-diameter tolerances on shanks and pins.
• Two-die reciprocating thread rolling — the industry-standard cold-work process for high-fatigue threads.
• Reed thread rolling for larger diameters where reciprocating dies are impractical.
• Heat treatment, surface finishing, and plating to OEM and military specifications.

Quality & inspection

WCA's quality system conforms to AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 and emphasizes prevention of non-conformance over detection. Each lot of fasteners is subjected to rigorous acceptance testing and traceability:

• X-ray verification of every incoming raw-material shipment to confirm chemistry and integrity before any production run begins.
• Tensile, shear, and fatigue testing per lot.
• Metallurgical analysis — finished parts are sectioned, mounted in bakelite, polished to a flat scratch-free finish, etched with acid, and examined under high-power microscopes to verify grain structure and material properties.
• NIST-traceable calibration on laser micrometers, optical comparators, and gauges.
• Full lot-traceability from raw-material chemistry through final inspection.

Certifications, approvals, and recognitions

• AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 — Aerospace Quality Management System
• JCP Certified
• Lockheed SPC System Certification
• Boeing D6-82479 Approval
• FAA TSO C-148 Approval
• Airbus U.K. Approval
• DFAR 50%+ Domestic Content
• Boeing Performance Excellence Award
• Northrop Grumman Platinum Source Preferred
• Lockheed Martin 100% Quality & Delivery Performance
• Lockheed Star Supplier

Specifications & standards we work to

WCA-manufactured fasteners conform to the full range of aerospace specification families:

• NAS — National Aerospace Standards (standard aerospace fasteners across the industry)
• MS — Military Standards
• AN — Air Force / Navy aircraft standards
• ABS — Airbus standards
• DAN — Aerospatiale / Airbus standards
• NSA — Norme Sud-Aviation (Airbus heritage)
• HL — Hi-Lok™ / Hi-Tigue™ pin specifications
• BACR / BACB — Boeing Aircraft Company specifications
• WC — West Coast Aerospace internal standards
• BN / BB — Blind Nuts™ / Blind Bolts™ specifications

Materials

WCA manufactures aerospace fasteners from the full range of qualified aerospace alloys, including:

• Titanium alloys (6Al-4V, 3Al-2.5V, Beta-C)
• A-286 superalloy
• Inconel 718 / Waspaloy / MP35N for high-temperature service
• Alloy steels (8740, 4340) for high-strength airframe joints
• Stainless steels (300-series, 17-4 PH, 15-5 PH, PH13-8Mo)
• Aluminum alloys (2024, 7075) for low-load, low-weight applications

Industry & supply chain

West Coast Aerospace serves the aerospace fastener supply chain at every tier. Our authorized distribution network spans the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom — including Boeing Distribution Services, Howmet Aerospace, Peerless Aerospace Fastener Corporation, FDH Aerospace, Aero-Glen, ALA, ASC Industries, Bisco Industries, Stuart Industries, Sey Tec Inc., Adept Fasteners, AIReps, Alabama Aerospace, Arlington International Aviation Products, Meg Technologies, Quest 1, and WG Henschen.

The full distributor network is documented at /WCA_distributors.html, and our complete digital line card — every part across every program — is available as a downloadable spreadsheet at /WCA-Linecard.xlsx.

About West Coast Aerospace, Inc.

West Coast Aerospace, Inc. was founded in 1978 in Carson, California. Today the company operates four manufacturing and engineering facilities across Southern California with a combined team experience exceeding 500 years. WCA maintains the highest on-time-delivery record in the aerospace fastener industry and is recognized as a top-tier supplier by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and other major airframe builders.

Headquarters: 24224 Broad St, Carson, CA 90745, USA
Phone: +1 (310) 518-0633
Sales: sales@westcoastaerospace.com
Engineering: tech@westcoastaerospace.com
Chief Executive Officer: Jake Brumby

Frequently asked questions

What is an aerospace fastener?

An aerospace fastener is a precision-engineered mechanical component — a bolt, pin, blind bolt, blind nut, sleeve, or collar — used to join structural elements on aircraft and spacecraft. Aerospace fasteners must meet strict tensile, shear, fatigue, corrosion, and traceability requirements set by airframe OEMs and military specifications.

What is a Hi-Lok™ pin?

A Hi-Lok™ pin is a two-piece interference-fit aerospace fastening system consisting of a threaded pin and a self-locking collar. Hi-Lok™ pins provide consistent installed preload and are widely used in commercial and military airframes.

What is a Blind Bolt™?

A Blind Bolt™ is a one-side-installation aerospace fastener used where back-side access to a joint is impractical, such as closed structures, fuel tanks, and leading edges.

Where are West Coast Aerospace fasteners manufactured?

All WCA fasteners are designed, manufactured, finished, and inspected in Southern California across four facilities: Carson, Wilmington, Compton, and Adelanto. WCA is a DFAR-compliant U.S. domestic supplier.

Is West Coast Aerospace AS9100 certified?

Yes. WCA holds AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 certification, plus JCP certification, Lockheed SPC system certification, Boeing D6-82479 approval, FAA TSO C-148 approval, and Airbus U.K. approval.

Which aircraft programs does West Coast Aerospace supply?

WCA supplies fastening systems to every major OEM airframe producer and MRO marketplace globally — including Boeing Commercial, Boeing Military, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Bell Helicopter, Gulfstream, Triumph, Bombardier, and Raytheon programs.

How many parts does West Coast Aerospace stock?

WCA stocks over 60 million aerospace fasteners covering more than 50,000 line items, including standard and oversize parts. A complete digital line card is available as an Excel download.

Does West Coast Aerospace handle AOG (Aircraft on Ground) requests?

Yes. WCA offers same-day will-call for urgent line-stop and AOG situations. Production schedulers monitor delivery status daily with sales representatives.

How do I request a quote?

Customers can submit an Excel RFQ at /WCA_quote.html or email sales@westcoastaerospace.com. A blank RFQ template (Excel) is available on the quote page.