Global aircraft manufacturing is entering a new phase of intensity. With aircraft backlogs now at record levels and build-rate ambitions rising across commercial aerospace, the focus is shifting from headline demand to the industrial reality of delivering aircraft at pace and at quality.
While much attention is placed on airframers and Tier 1 integrators, the true constraint often sits deeper in the supply chain — in the repeatable, precision components that underpin every assembly line. For UK pressings specialists such as Brigham Pressings, this environment represents both an opportunity and a responsibility.
Aircraft backlogs stretching into the 2030s are driving a renewed emphasis on supply chain resilience. OEMs are seeking partners that can scale reliably, maintain consistency over long programme lives, and absorb rate changes without disruption. Pressed metal components, though rarely visible, play a fundamental role in enabling that stability.
Doug Allen, CEO of HT Brigham, says the current backlog landscape is forcing a reassessment of what “capacity” really means in aerospace manufacturing.
“Raising build rates signals long term confidence — confidence that the smallest components will arrive on time, every time, and will perform exactly as expected over millions of cycles.”
Founded in 1947, HT Brigham has built its reputation on progression presswork, multi-stage transfer pressings and in-house toolmaking — capabilities that lend themselves to high-volume, high-repeatability production. While historically associated with automotive supply chains, those same disciplines are increasingly valued by aerospace customers seeking robustness rather than novelty.
“In aerospace, OEMs don’t want unpredictability from their suppliers,” Allen says. “Our customers need parts that just work, because they build entire production systems around that assumption.”
Tooling, in particular, is emerging as a differentiator. As programmes lengthen and rate profiles become more volatile, tooling durability and process stability are no longer operational concerns — they are strategic ones.
“Good tooling doesn’t draw attention to itself,” Allen notes. “If it’s designed properly and engineered for the long term, it quietly enables everything else to function.”
AS9100 accreditation has become a baseline requirement for aerospace suppliers, but Brigham’s leadership is keen to stress that certification alone does not guarantee delivery performance. Instead, it is the combination of disciplined presswork, engineering experience and controlled processes that allows suppliers to support sustained production over decades.
Looking ahead, Allen believes the UK’s established pressings sector has a vital role to play as global aerospace output accelerates.
“Britain has deep, hard-earned manufacturing expertise,” he says. “If we focus on consistency, quality and long-term partnerships, there’s no reason UK pressings can’t be assisting meeting the world’s aircraft backlog.”
As aircraft order books continue to grow, it may be the quiet reliability of suppliers like HT Brigham that ultimately determines how fast — and how smoothly — the industry can deliver.