The past few years have been very complicated for a wide range of businesses, mainly due to supply chain issues brought on by a number of factors. All signs point to these problems continuing into the future.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, supply chains around the world have been under incredible amounts of stress. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has further complicated the situation, limiting the resources coming out of Eastern Europe and putting pressure on companies to cut ties with Russian suppliers.

It’s important for manufacturers in every sector, including aerospace and defense manufacturing, to understand what’s happening and how to change their operations to cope.

Key Trends in Current Supply Chains

A few key trends in the supply chain have risen in these complicated times. Here, we’ll explore a few of these trends and how they’re impacting the global supply chain.

  • Lead times – Lead times for vital resources have hit record levels according to reports, as high as 60% longer than pre-pandemic levels. Delivery of resources like aluminum and steel has been greatly hindered by the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
  • Labor market – The labor recovery has been long and complicated since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many companies still can’t function at full capacity due to the dangers of spreading the illness, and many employees have decided to change careers or remove themselves from the labor market until the pandemic fully ends.
  • Material pricing – Supply and demand has taken its toll on nearly every commodity. Many materials are still just as in-demand as they were before 2020, but many stresses have made it hard to obtain the materials and ship them to manufacturers. This drives up prices that need to be absorbed by companies or customers.
  • Overreliance on overseas partners – Many companies have connections with non-US companies for their materials or manufacturing services. With many travel restrictions and war complications, it’s becoming increasingly harder to obtain materials or products from overseas.

These problems and many more have created a perfect storm for many industries. To overcome these problems, manufacturers need to pivot their operations and work with local, US-based companies in order to survive.

How Mueller is Able to Help Manufacturers Through these Unprecedented Times

Due to these and other factors, companies have had to quickly pivot their operations. Many more organizations are looking state-side for their materials and manufacturing. Domestic innovation is vital for many companies to weather these storms for the foreseeable future.

Mueller specializes in functional coatings for the aerospace and defense manufacturing sector. From RFI shielding and EMI shielding to PTFE coatings and vapor barriers, we create products and offer services that are vital to the functionality of electrical parts.

As the world continues to deal with multiple supply chain stresses, it’s important for companies to pivot their service reliance to stateside businesses. Aerospace and defense manufacturing companies need to be able to hit their deadlines and they can’t be waiting on functional coatings to be delivered from overseas in times like these.

Mueller operates solely on US soil, creating EMI shielding, RFI shielding, and a wide range of other heat shielding products. Our manufacturing plants provide us with the space needed to handle any size project for clients around the country. We have the tools and resources needed to create heat shielding, vapor barriers, and many other products for our clients, all without reliance on overseas plants.

Get Back on Track with Mueller

Domestic innovation is the key to getting back on track through these tough times. Mueller provides the aerospace and defense manufacturing sector with top-quality materials and services, all from the US. Our company can produce:

Keep your business on schedule without compromising quality. Contact Mueller today to discuss your specific needs.

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