Defense Contractors
For Defense Contractors & Government Suppliers — Southern Tennessee & Huntsville Corridor
Legacy hardware with no surviving drawings. Test fixtures that need periodic dimensional recertification. First article documentation that has to survive a government submission. These are precision metrology problems — and NIST-traceable calibration, a licensed PE, and the ability to deploy to a controlled facility are baseline requirements, not differentiators.
Ryan Schimmel, PE (TN) operates the Creaform HandyScan Black Elite at 0.025mm (0.001") accuracy with NIST-traceable calibration records maintained for every engagement. Carry-in equipment, battery-powered, deployable at contractor facilities, government installations, and test ranges in the southern Tennessee and Huntsville, AL corridor. Calibration documentation available for quality packages and government submissions.
Service Listings
Legacy Hardware Reverse Engineering Scan
Legacy military and government hardware scanned for geometry reconstruction when original design documentation is unavailable, was never created, or no longer reflects the current configuration. Mechanical components, structural assemblies, brackets, housings, and interface hardware captured at 0.025mm (0.001") accuracy. Deliverable is a STEP or IGES parametric model the engineering team uses for analysis, reproduction, or configuration documentation. Where hardware is worn or damaged, interpretative geometry reconstruction identifies the original nominal dimensions from surviving geometry.
From $1,400
Est. — contact for quote
Test Fixture & GSE Dimensional Verification
Ground support equipment, test fixtures, handling tools, and interface adapters verified against engineering drawings or nominal CAD with GD&T deviation reporting. Used for initial fixture qualification, periodic recertification, and post-repair verification when a fixture has been modified or repaired. Deliverable includes a full surface deviation map and measurement table referenced to the drawing callouts — in formats compatible with AS9100 and government quality documentation requirements.
From $950
Est. per fixture
Production Tooling Inspection — Jigs, Fixtures & Templates
Drill jigs, assembly fixtures, weld fixtures, form tools, and check templates scanned and deviation-mapped against nominal for tooling qualification and periodic inspection. Identifies dimensional drift, wear at critical locating features, and departures from nominal that accumulate over service life. Deliverable supports tooling recertification documentation and provides objective data for tooling replacement decisions.
From $1,100
Est. — contact for quote
First Article Inspection — Defense & Government Supplier
First article dimensional documentation against engineering drawing or MIL-SPEC with full surface deviation map, GD&T callout table, and measurement report. Covers AS9100, MIL-SPEC, and customer-specific FAI requirements. Full surface capture identifies geometric non-conformances that discrete CMM probing can miss — particularly on complex surfaces, cast housings, and fabricated assemblies where surface variation carries structural significance. Deliverable is a PDF report with color-mapped deviation and measurement tables in formats compatible with government submissions.
From $1,200
Est. per article
As-Built Documentation — Modified & Field-Repaired Hardware
Government and military hardware that has been field-modified, repaired under a field change order, or rebuilt to a non-standard configuration scanned to document the as-modified geometry for configuration management, future maintenance, and logistics support. Produces a permanent geometric record of the hardware as it currently exists — distinct from both the original design drawing and any authorized change documentation — for configuration baseline purposes.
From $1,400
Est. — contact for quote
Prototype & Development Hardware Geometry Capture
Development hardware, prototype components, and pre-production articles scanned to capture as-built geometry for design iteration, FEA model update, and configuration baseline documentation. Common in early development phases where hardware is built before drawings are finalized, and the physical article leads the digital design. The scan closes the gap between what was built and what the model says was built — critical for analysis results that are supposed to reflect the actual hardware.
From $1,200
Est. — contact for quote
Southern TN & Huntsville Corridor
We serve contractor facilities and government installations throughout southern Tennessee and the Huntsville, AL aerospace and defense corridor — approximately 100 miles from Nashville. Arnold Air Force Base (Tullahoma), Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville), and the surrounding contractor base are all within regional service range. NIST-traceable calibration documentation maintained for all engagements. Within 50 miles of Nashville is included in base prices.
| Within 50 miles of Nashville 37206 | Included |
| 51–150 miles (incl. Huntsville, Tullahoma) | +$180 |
| 151–300 miles | +$295 |
| 300+ miles | Quoted individually |
| National travel | Contact for quote |
When Defense Teams Call Us
Scenario — Legacy hardware, no drawings
A mechanical component on a fielded system needs to be reproduced. The design documentation is decades old and not available to the contractor.
A Tier 2 defense supplier asked to reproduce a structural bracket from a fielded platform — original drawings were created in the 1980s and are not accessible. The physical hardware is the only reference. We scan the existing component, reconstruct the nominal geometry, and deliver a parametric model the machine shop uses to produce the replacement. NIST-traceable scan data and calibration documentation accompany the delivery for the quality package.
Scenario — GSE recertification
A handling fixture needs periodic dimensional recertification. The fixture has been in service for three years and has been repaired once.
A missile handling fixture requiring annual dimensional recertification. The fixture was repaired after a fork truck incident 18 months ago. We scan the fixture and deviation-map it against the nominal drawing — GD&T callouts for all critical locating features, clearance surfaces, and interface dimensions. The report shows all features within tolerance. The recertification documentation goes into the fixture's quality record.
Scenario — Arnold AFB test article
A test article geometry needs to be documented before installation in a wind tunnel test section. The as-built article differs from the design model.
A aerodynamic test article machined to a complex contour surface — the machinist made a small modification during fabrication that isn't captured in the design model. Before the article goes into the wind tunnel, the actual surface geometry needs to be documented so the CFD team can update the analysis model to reflect what was actually tested. We scan the article, deliver the as-built geometry, and the analysis proceeds on data that reflects the real hardware.
Scenario — First article, MIL-SPEC
A government supplier is delivering first articles on a new production contract. The customer's QA requires dimensional documentation against the drawing.
A Huntsville-area supplier producing structural brackets for a government program. First article inspection against a complex drawing with multiple GD&T callouts on cast and machined surfaces. The CMM at the supplier's shop can reach the machined features but not the as-cast surfaces. We scan the full article, produce a deviation map against the nominal model, and deliver a report covering all drawing callouts — cast surfaces and machined features — in a format the customer's QA team can review.
Scenario — Field-modified hardware
A fielded assembly was modified under a field change order. The modification was documented procedurally but not geometrically. The contractor needs as-built geometry for future sustainment.
A fielded vehicle subsystem modified under an FCO — the procedural documentation describes what was done but not what the resulting geometry actually looks like. Future sustainment work will require replacement hardware that matches the modified configuration, not the original drawing. We scan the modified assembly, capture the as-modified geometry, and the contractor has a dimensional reference for future sustainment fabrication that reflects what's actually in the field.
Scenario — Development prototype scan
A prototype is built and the FEA team needs to update the analysis model to reflect as-built geometry before the test campaign begins.
A structural development prototype where manufacturing variation produced an as-built geometry that differs from the nominal CAD in ways that matter for the stress analysis. The FEA team needs the as-built model before the article goes into environmental testing — so the predicted failure mode reflects the actual hardware, not the nominal. We scan the prototype, deliver the as-built geometry, and the analysis team updates the model before the first test cycle.
Questions from Defense Contractors & Program Teams
Are you a licensed Professional Engineer?
Yes. Ryan Schimmel holds a Professional Engineer license in Tennessee. PE licensure is a credibility and competency baseline in defense and government work — it represents engineering education, examination, and documented experience requirements that establish technical competence. We provide dimensional scanning, geometric documentation, and technical analysis with PE-level engineering judgment about what the geometry means, not just what it measures.
Is your equipment NIST-traceable and calibrated?
Yes. The Creaform HandyScan Black Elite is NIST-traceable at 0.025mm (0.001") measurement accuracy. Calibration is maintained per the manufacturer's schedule using a certified calibration artifact. Calibration records and equipment documentation are maintained and available for inclusion in quality packages, government submissions, and contractor quality management system documentation.
Can you work at a controlled facility or government installation?
Yes. We coordinate site access, badge and escort requirements, and equipment entry procedures in advance. Our equipment entry list is straightforward — scanner, laptop, and battery pack — a clean list for security check-in. We have worked in controlled-access production and test environments. If your facility has specific access requirements, we work through them during scope review rather than at the gate.
Do you serve the Huntsville defense and aerospace corridor?
Yes. Huntsville is approximately 100 miles from Nashville — within our standard regional service area at the +$180 travel tier. Redstone Arsenal, the Army Aviation and Missile Command, and the substantial Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractor base in the Huntsville area are all primary markets for this service. Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tennessee is approximately 90 miles from Nashville and falls in the same tier.
Can you reverse engineer legacy hardware when original drawings are unavailable?
Yes. We scan the physical hardware and produce geometric models the engineering team uses for reproduction, analysis, or configuration documentation. For hardware where nominal geometry needs to be reconstructed from worn or damaged surviving examples, we apply interpretative geometry reconstruction — analyzing surviving geometry to identify the original design intent rather than producing a copy of the wear or damage.
Ready to discuss your program requirement?
Tell us the hardware type, the documentation requirement, and your facility location. We respond within one business day.