Our PWA 106 and PWA 96 Approvals for Aerospace Manufacturing
At United Centerless Grinding & Thread Rolling, our AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certifications show we maintain a disciplined quality management system. For certain aerospace work, however, customers also need suppliers with approval for specific processes.
Our PWA 106 and PWA 96 approvals show that we can perform two specialized processes in accordance with Pratt & Whitney requirements.
PWA 106 for Grinding Titanium
PWA 106 applies to the grinding of titanium. United has held this approval since 2009, and that experience has made us very comfortable handling centerless grinding under the specification’s requirements.
Grinding titanium requires a carefully controlled process, which is why Pratt & Whitney maintains very rigorous requirements around this work. A supplier must demonstrate that its procedures for grinding services align with the PWA standard and can consistently produce acceptable results.
PWA 96 for Thread Rolling Fasteners
PWA 96 covers thread rolling for fasteners used in Pratt & Whitney applications. We earned this approval more recently than PWA 106; one of our existing customers approached Pratt & Whitney and asked to use United Centerless Grinding & Thread Rolling as its thread rolling supplier for certain work.
United already had decades of experience with precision thread rolling for aerospace materials before our PWA 96 approval, and we had earned this customer’s trust through a successful working relationship on other projects. Those two factors combined led our customer to recommend us to Pratt & Whitney for approval. PWA 96 then allowed us to apply our experience to fasteners governed by this specification.
How the PWA Approval Process Works
PWA 106 and PWA 96 are Pratt & Whitney-specific process approvals, not broad quality management certifications. Many of our customers are suppliers for Pratt & Whitney, and sometimes they need another approved source because an existing supplier is struggling to meet quality expectations. Because these customers know us and trust our work, they ask us to pursue the relevant approval and recommend us to their Pratt & Whitney contacts.
Each PWA specification establishes requirements for the process. We develop a manufacturing process plan tailored to our equipment and methods, and a Pratt & Whitney representative reviews it to confirm that it aligns with the specification. Once the plan and process are approved, United can perform this work.
Exploring PWA 97-3
We currently have two PWA approvals, but we’re always open to pursuing other approvals if a customer needs one for their projects. As of August 2026, for example, we are currently exploring PWA 97-3 approval in response to a customer’s needs.
We already provide grinding and thread rolling for this customer, but they recently learned we could also offer sinker EDM for their parts. Because the customer values our partnership, they asked whether we could obtain PWA 97-3 approval for that additional process. We have begun the process to discuss the next steps towards approval.
A Trusted Source for Specialized Aerospace Processes
We’re proud that our PWA approvals show our technical ability, but we think it’s just as important that these approvals were started by customer recommendations. Those recommendations reflect the trust we have earned through our decades in business.
If your project requires PWA 106-approved titanium grinding, PWA 96-approved thread rolling, or another specialized process approval, contact United Centerless Grinding & Thread Rolling to discuss your requirements.
