Key Takeaways
- DFARS compliance is a defense-program requirement: Military washers shipped to defense programs must come from approved sources using compliant specialty metals. DFARS 252.225-7009 defines the specific requirements that suppliers must meet.
- Made in USA matters for supply chain security: American manufacturing protects defense programs from foreign supply disruption and counterfeit parts risk. Our continuous US operation since 1919 supports that security mission.
- Multiple certifications stack to define capability: AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, DFARS, DTCC, DLA, and CAGE registrations together establish a supplier as defense-program ready. Each certification answers a specific procurement question.
- Traceability runs from mill to final inspection: Every defense washer ships with documentation tracing the part back to its raw material heat lot. That paperwork survives audits and supports lifetime maintenance records.
- A 100+ year track record reduces program risk: Defense buyers prefer suppliers with proven longevity because manufacturing knowledge takes decades to build. Our continuous operation since 1919 represents that institutional depth.
What DFARS Compliance Means for Military Washers
The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, or DFARS, governs how defense contractors and their suppliers source materials, manage data, and document compliance. For military washers and similar precision parts, DFARS 252.225-7009 is the core specialty metals clause, which requires that specialty metals incorporated into defense articles be melted in a qualifying country, primarily the United States.
Compliance affects every aspect of the supply chain. The mill that produces the raw material, the distributor that warehouses it, and the manufacturer that turns it into finished parts must all support the documentation chain that proves DFARS compliance. A break anywhere in the chain disqualifies the part from use in defense, regardless of how well it was made.
DFARS 252.225-7009 and Specialty Metals
Specialty metals under DFARS include steel, certain stainless grades, titanium, nickel, and cobalt-based alloys, and others. We are DFARS 252.225-7009 compliant on every defense order, with documentation that traces material from a qualifying mill through the finished part. Buyers receive the documentation they need to support their own DFARS reporting requirements without additional follow-up.
Why “Made in USA” Is Non-Negotiable for Defense Programs
Foreign supply chain disruption has become a primary concern for defense programs. Pandemic-era shortages, geopolitical tensions, and counterfeit parts incidents have all reinforced the value of domestic manufacturing for defense hardware. American manufacturing reduces lead-time risk, improves traceability, and supports the broader industrial base the Defense Department needs to sustain.
Our Fairfield, NJ facility has produced military washers and similar parts continuously since 1919. Every step of our process, from material receiving through final inspection, happens within our US facility, which gives defense customers visibility, security, and consistency that imported parts cannot match.
- Supply Chain Security: Domestic production eliminates foreign disruption risk for critical hardware.
- ITAR Compliance: US manufacturing supports ITAR-controlled work without export complications.
- Berry Amendment Awareness: Many defense procurements require US-sourced material consistent with the Berry Amendment, even when DFARS does not directly apply.
- Counterfeit Prevention: Domestic manufacture from qualified mills minimizes the risk that imported parts have been introduced into defense supply chains.
- Industrial Base Support: Sourcing American sustains the manufacturing capability that defense programs need to remain viable.
Our Defense Manufacturing Credentials
Defense procurement officers look for stacked certifications because each one answers a specific qualification question. Together, our certifications and registrations establish us as a fully qualified defense supplier across aerospace, ground systems, naval, and weapons programs.
- AS9100:2016 Certification: Aerospace quality management system meeting prime contractor requirements.
- ISO 9001:2015 Certification: Foundational quality management system supporting all other certifications.
- ITAR Registration: Authorization to handle controlled defense articles and technical data.
- DFARS 252.225-7009 Compliance: Specialty metals sourcing meeting defense program requirements.
- DTCC Registration #M28972: Defense Trade Controls Compliance registration.
- DLA Joint Registration #DD2345: US/Canada Defense Logistics qualification.
- CAGE Code 08555: Government supplier identification on every contract and delivery.
Materials Stocked for Military Flat Washers
Our material listing covers the full range of defense-relevant alloys: stainless steel grades from 301 through 321, aluminum alloys including 2024, 6061, and 5052, copper alloys including beryllium copper and phosphor bronze, blue spring steel and 1095 spring steel, and semi-exotics such as Inconel and Monel for high-temperature or chemically aggressive service. Each material is sourced from qualified mills with full DFARS documentation where applicable.
Material selection drives application performance. Stainless handles corrosion exposure on naval and ground vehicle programs. Aluminum reduces weight on airborne and missile platforms. Spring steels and bronzes maintain clamp force under vibration. Inconel and Monel withstand extreme thermal and chemical service conditions. We carry all of them to match the exact requirement.
We also support the engineering plastics increasingly required by defense electronics, including PTFE for chemical and thermal resistance, Nylatron and Delrin for low-friction bearing applications, and Mylar for ultra-thin shimming and electrical insulation. The plastics range covers thicknesses starting at 0.0005 inch, with custom capabilities available for thicker requirements. That combined metals-and-plastics capability is unusual in defense supply, and it lets program managers consolidate suppliers across hardware categories.
Traceability From Mill Certificate to Final Inspection
Defense traceability requires that every part can be traced back to its raw material origin. If a problem appears in service, defense maintainers and engineers must be able to determine which heat lot produced the affected parts and how many other parts share that origin. Without complete traceability, a single field failure can require fleet-wide replacement at enormous cost. Our traceability process documents every step.
Traceability also supports the prevention of counterfeit parts, which has become a major defense procurement priority. Counterfeit hardware has appeared in defense supply chains often enough that the Government Accountability Office and the Defense Logistics Agency now treat it as a sustained risk. Complete documentation from a qualified mill, through a US-based manufacturer, with shipping records that match purchase orders, is the most reliable defense against counterfeit parts entering a program.
- Mill Certification Receipt: Original mill certificate received and verified against purchase order.
- Incoming Inspection: Material verified against certificate and visually inspected before release to production.
- Lot Tracking: Heat number tracked through production with batch records linking material to finished parts.
- In-Process Inspection: Dimensional and visual inspection during production with documented results.
- Final Inspection and Documentation: Completed parts inspected, with mill certificates and certificate of conformance shipped with the order.
Industries Within Defense We Serve
The defense industrial base spans many sub-industries, each with specific requirements for military washers. We have shipped into all of them over the past century, and our material capability and certification stack support continued work across the full range of defense programs.
Each defense sub-industry brings its own technical priorities, but the underlying need is the same: precision parts, in compliant materials, with documentation that survives audit. The ability to serve all of these segments from a single qualified supplier reduces the procurement burden on defense customers, who would otherwise need to qualify and manage multiple smaller suppliers across hardware categories.
- Aerospace and Aviation: Military aircraft, UAVs, and rotorcraft programs requiring AS9100 certification.
- Ground Systems: Combat and tactical vehicles, communications hardware, and electronic warfare equipment.
- Naval Programs: Surface vessels, submarines, and amphibious platforms requiring corrosion-resistant materials.
- Missile and Munitions: Guided munitions, missile systems, and warhead assemblies.
- Defense Electronics: Radar, communications, and sensor hardware requiring EMI and grounding solutions.
A 100+ Year Legacy of American Defense Manufacturing
Five generations of family ownership have preserved the manufacturing knowledge, customer relationships, and quality culture that defense buyers value. Today, the company is led by President Brielle Freda Seminerio, a fifth-generation owner and certified Woman-Owned Small Business.
A 100+ year track record signals more than longevity. It signals the continuity of standards, the depth of institutional knowledge, and a manufacturing culture that has survived multiple generations of leadership transitions. Defense customers rely on suppliers who will be there for the full program lifecycle, including spares and sustainment that may extend decades beyond initial production.
The Woman-Owned Small Business designation also creates set-aside opportunities under federal procurement rules. Defense buyers working toward small-business goals, women-owned business goals, or supplier-diversity targets can count purchases from us toward those metrics while still receiving fully qualified parts. That combination of capability and qualification status is unusual in defense supply, making us a strategic supplier to prime contractors managing complex procurement scorecards.
Order DFARS-Compliant Military Washers Today
Whether your program needs prototype quantities for a new platform or production releases on a sustainment contract, we deliver DFARS-compliant military washers with the certifications, traceability, and consistency defense work requires. Reach out to us today for the help and guidance you both need and deserve.