Military & Defence CNC Solutions Partner For a Half Century

Ben Machine has been a leading military machining company and full end to end solutions provider to the military and defence industry for 50 years. Fortify your supply chain with a top Military CNC manufacturer in Canada and the US.

Defence Machining Services

Ben Machine has been a trusted partner to the who’s who of military, defence and homeland security companies since its beginning in 1973. Fully compliant with Canadian and US defence regulations, Ben Machine is registered with the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and capable of meeting the requirements of the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Ben Machine’s defence machining experience and capabilities respond to a wide range of military component manufacturing needs, from turnkey engineering services to tight tolerance precision CNC machining, fabrication, assembly and testing all done on site.

Our Difference

Large Capacity: Over 100 of the latest CNC machines in milling, turning and fabrication technology, including 5-axis machining centres with spindle speeds up to 15,000 RPM and large capacity lathes with live tooling

Latest technology: 5 axis synchronous machining centres, precise 9 axis Swiss turning centres and CMMs with rotational PH20- Renishaw probe heads

Full range of precision CNC machining and ancillary services from engineering, design, fabrication, assembly and testing

A Case Study – The Lockheed Martin F-35 and Ben Machine

Ben Machine’s innovation in dip brazing led to its participation in the F-35 Global Partnership program. Their manufacturing design capabilities were leveraged by Lockheed Martin to help develop the electronic power and control modules of a new cutting-edge actuation system. Their deep knowledge and experience made them a clear choice to help solve the advanced complex problems apparent in such a bleeding edge technological platform.

New fixturing techniques, structural supports and design elements were added to the actuator assembly to maintain dimensions and tolerances that were otherwise unachievable in the marketplace. The starting point in this engineering journey was the creation of initial designs in virtual 3D CAD, moving this engineering challenge into the first iteration of a real working product.

A Case Study - Composite Isn’t Always the Solution

We were recently approached by a customer with a formidable challenge. They were building stabilized camera systems for medium and low altitude covert intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. These systems were being integrated into unmanned aerial vehicles and needed to be extremely light, while remaining accurate.

Initially, critical thin-walled components needed for the assembly were manufactured from composite materials. This achieved the weight goals of the program, but the intricacy of the system required a level of precision and accuracy that could not be maintained using the composite process. They encountered leak issues, tolerance issues and cost issues with manufacturing in volume. They needed a solution and they didn’t think that traditional machining could do it.

Ben Machine’s manufacturing specialists were called upon to review the application and research brand new approaches to making the components out of aluminum to eliminate the leak, tolerance, and cost issues, while maintaining the thin walls and weights required. Through a rigorous iterative research and development process, a prototype was devised utilizing aluminum and put into production. Ben Machine successfully developed a proprietary methodology that has revolutionized the manufacture of these key components in these multi-sensor imaging systems.

The Role of Ben Machine’s Experts in Defence Engineering

Customer design engineering requires the balancing of many variables and constraints. Fitting a component into a physical space is one simple element in solving a complex manufacturing design puzzle. The component must also withstand mechanical, thermal, and vibrational stresses which are defined within fatigue life calculations. Additionally, within a military aerospace design, weight is constantly reviewed for reduction opportunities.

These critical variables require great attention and focus of the design engineers as they move through the disciplined process of making iterative calculations and simulations in the quest for the optimal solution. Ben Machine’s engineering department works with their customer design engineers to identify manufacturing risks and develop solutions that ensure the military components meet the rigor of the harshest parameters.

Ben Machine’s commitment to quality, the latest technologies, advanced processes and innovation in integrated military engineering services have defined their role as a key manufacturing partner to the Military and Defense Industry.