After initial successes in sporting goods Form Matrix started making fins for Pegasus, one of the exciting rocket-powered satellite launch vehicles of Orbital Sciences. Their customer in this program is the vaunted Scaled Composites of Mojave, California. The delta-winged, air launch Pegasus was the first winged vehicle to accelerate to over eight times the speed of sound. Their proven track record with the fins for Pegasus made us a viable partner for the world’s leading aerospace companies like Boeing on the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) program, for which they were honored with the 2002 Supplier Innovation Award by Boeing’s Phantom Works, and Lockheed Martin on their JASSM missile program.
They also have many years of experience in the wind blade business as well, providing large, durable, cost-effective blades for a variety of sizes of turbines. We’ve worked with Sandia National Laboratories on programs to develop more efficient ways to extract energy from the wind.
The FMC Advantage
First and foremost, their many customers find that they can save them money with no penalty in weight.
Couple that with a significant reduction in part count since the FMC system allows actuators, flanges, fittings and other components to be integral to the structure.
They think you’ll also be impressed with the lead time and cycle time for parts. They can generally deliver the first structure in just two months, from scratch. And that includes building the tool.
Durability is key to today’s aerospace structures and FMC system structures enjoy exceptional damage resistance since there is no seam, no leading edge seam and no open cells of honeycomb.
Cost and time-efficiencies are inherent because their lightweight structures use commercial, off-the-shelf materials.
The Form Matrix Advantage
But beyond all of the benefits you’ll find to their FMC system is the innovation that has made Form Matrix the company it is today.
The company started as an entrepreneurial innovator, developing new ways to solve the age-old structural problems of cost and weight. This legacy continues to drive them today as they deliver customer advantages from their penchant for using commercially available materials, their work ethic for providing rapid responses to their customers’ challenges and the low cost infrastructure that they have tenaciously maintained and expanded.
Minutes from three major Los Angeles airports
They’re conveniently located about 15 minutes from Los Angeles International airport and about 30 minutes each from both Burbank and Long Beach airports. This makes them very easy to visit and also allows for very rapid shipment when required.