Swannanoa, North Carolina · AS9100D & ISO 9001:2015
Precision machining, specialty tooling and subcontract manufacturing for aerospace, energy and defense customers — nearly 40 years of family-run craftsmanship behind certified quality systems with zero audit deficiencies.
We machine complex components in low-volume high-mix and high-volume low-mix environments. Materials range from steel and aluminium alloys through titanium and Inconel. Our customers include government-contracted high-tech programmes and commercial production alike.
Finished part envelopes run from the size of a screw up to Ø70″ turning on our vertical lathes, 96″ length between centres on our big-bed lathe, and Ø19.7″ × 11.8″ parts on our 5-axis machining centre.
Purpose-built tooling, fixtures and gauges for aerospace programmes.
Reliable subcontract machining for prime contractors and integrators.
Short-run and prototype production with fast turnaround.
Complete turn-key cells — machining, assembly and inspection.
Why Appalachian Tool
Three twin-spindle turning centres let us run two operations in a single setup — shorter cycle times, fewer fixtures, tighter tolerances.
Bar-fed Citizen Cincom L32 with main and back spindle plus rotary tools — high-volume small parts with milled features in one pass.
Okuma MILLAC 1052V: 86.6″ × 41.3″ table, BT50 spindle and ~100″ X travel for genuinely large parts.
30″ × 18″ × 18″ travel at 15,000 rpm, handling parts to Ø19.7″ × 11.8″ with full simultaneous 5-axis motion.
DMG Mori Vertical Mate 85 and Campbell CNC grinders for precision bore and surface work.
Two CMMs, Cordax RS-50 and a full gauge suite supporting every machining process.
We operate from a 45,000 square foot facility on 15 acres in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Our quality system is certified to AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015, with our most recent audit recorded at zero deficiencies. Certification has been continuous since 2012.
Certificate documents are available on the contact page.
Who we work with
Appalachian Tool & Machine supports prime contractors, Tier 1 suppliers and engineering teams that need machined parts, fixtures and tooling without long lead times. Most of our work is low volume and high variety: one-off prototypes, replacement components for aging equipment, and short production runs that bigger shops will not take on.
Machined parts and tooling for aerospace programmes, run under AS9100D controls with full traceability and inspection records.
Components for power generation, process piping and heavy industrial equipment, including large-diameter turning work on vertical lathes.
Tooling, fixturing and subcontract manufacturing for defense programmes, alongside commercial production on the same shop floor.
Common questions
Turning work goes up to Ø70″ diameter on our vertical lathes, and parts up to 96″ in length between centres on the Monarch manual lathe. CNC turning swing reaches Ø39.4″ and our largest milling table is 86.6″ × 41.3″.
Yes. Low-volume, high-variety work is our specialty — prototypes, replacement parts and short production runs that larger shops often decline.
AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015, certificate 19578, valid through 07 June 2027. Certification has been continuous since 2012 with zero audit deficiencies.
Steel, aluminum, titanium, Inconel and other aerospace alloys, plus castings and specialty materials across turning, milling, grinding and boring work.