Parts Life, Inc. is set to sponsor, attend and exhibit at Tinker and the Primes 2025, August 5th-8th at the Delta Midwest City Hotel at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Our team will highlight past performance across the B-1, B-2, and B-52 bomber platforms, supporting air dominance through direct reverse engineering, technical data development, prototyping, and production of critical sustainment parts. In each instance, our proven processes support fleet sustainability by becoming an approved source of supply and provide the components for the life of the asset, ensuring that mission critical assets are at full operational availability.
Collaborate with Our Team for Simplified Acquisition & Procurement
Our business development and engineering teams will be on-site all week, ready to collaborate with you to solve your most urgent mission critical needs. We invite program managers, engineers, and procurement teams to visit us at Booth 34. Led by Director of Product Chris Fest, our engineering team will be displaying select components and prototypes that highlight our process and performance. For more information, contact Chris Fest at christopher@partslifeinc.com.
Connect with our business development team, led by Program Manager Chris Small, to learn how our streamlined procurement processes support mission readiness by offering a direct path to fulfill urgent, mission-critical needs. To set up a capability briefing or to have additional discussions with our team, reach out to Chris Small at chris@partslifeinc.com.
Join us at the No-Host Happy Hour on Wednesday, August 6 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at SkyDance Brewing Company in Oklahoma City. Meet our engineers and business development team to discuss how our work supports operational availability, platform sustainment, and the long-term readiness of the bomber fleet. Register today at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/no-host-happy-hour-tickets-1431985159159
Parts Life, Inc. Engineering Sustainment for the Nuclear Triad
Parts Life, Inc. has delivered solutions for every U.S. Air Force bomber platform supporting the nuclear triad. For the B-52, our work has included reverse engineering and manufacturing components for the TF33 engine and the Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), along with wiring harnesses, switches, forged bolts, and amplifier components. Many of these items are coded MICAP (Mission Impaired Capability Awaiting Parts) and directly impact operational readiness and fleet availability.
“Consumables are the parts and components used during maintenance cycles or repairs, things like bolts, brackets, and other individual parts removed while servicing an asset” Says Director of Product Chris Fest. “These are highly specialized items with tight tolerances and strict material requirements. Many require advanced processing, including non-destructive testing such as ultrasonic inspection or X-ray. They fall into several categories: standard maintenance components, critical application parts (where failure could result in loss of the asset), and critical safety items (where failure could mean loss of life or limb). We’ve been qualified to supply parts in all three categories and take the severity and mission impact of our work very seriously, knowing that every part we manufacture plays a direct role in ensuring system reliability, operational readiness, and warfighter safety.”
On the B-2, our team reverse engineered a rectifier assembly for the flight control system, as well as a cockpit pressure sensor used to monitor environmental control based on altitude. These systems required specialty testing, including full electromagnetic interference (EMI) compliance, explosive atmosphere validation, and functional cycle testing. Our team of engineers also supported landing gear sustainment by replicating specialty bolts where continuous grain flow from forging was critical to shock absorption and structural reliability.
For the B-1, we developed and prototyped a hydraulic filter element and are supporting source approval efforts based on reverse engineering and full functional testing. Our engineers resolved discrepancies between original drawings and fielded parts to ensure compatibility and performance. Other B-1 components include radio frequency amplifiers, actuated pressure switches, and subassemblies with obsolete electrical components. Where necessary, we created hybrid solutions using modern equivalents that match legacy performance requirements while fitting within original enclosures.
Real Results for Mission Critical Urgent Requirements
Parts Life, Inc. has a track record of delivering under urgent mission timelines. In one case, the Air Force required a specialty wrench to service ICBM missile systems. The requirement came in with an outdated and poorly designed drawing package. While technically manufacturable, it lacked accuracy. As a redesign effort began, the Air Force still needed the wrenches to support active maintenance. Parts Life, Inc. committed to a 60-day turnaround and delivered 15 specialized wrenches on-schedule. Engineers traveled to Hill Air Force Base to support testing and validation. These highly specialized tools designed to articulate at precise angles to access missile components, with no commercial off the shelf alternatives available. Once approved, the wrenches were distributed across maintenance sites to ensure mission continuity. The project was fully funded through the SBIR program, demonstrating its value as a rapid deployment mechanism for urgent defense sustainment needs.
In another example, we developed wiring harnesses for the B-2 where original connectors were unavailable. By sourcing legacy connectors from field samples and validating them through prototype builds, we were able to qualify as the alternate source. These prototypes were installed directly on aircraft under urgent MICAP conditions.
“Without these parts, aircraft aren’t flying.” States Chris Fest. “They simply can’t perform as intended. That’s why extra care is critical during the Technical Data Package (TDP) stage. If a requirement is missed at the drawing phase, it won’t make it into production. These components demand precise manufacturing and extensive quality checks, including 100% inspection of every dimension. The level of scrutiny at each step is essential to ensure performance and safety.”
Process-Driven Engineering Solutions For Critically Needed Parts
All projects are executed through Parts Life, Inc.’s proprietary R.O.P.E.® (Rapid Obsolescence Planning and Execution) process. This six-gated framework ensures that technical data packages are manufacturable, inspection-ready, and compliant with acquisition requirements. In parallel, we apply our 5R® methodology—Reverse Engineer, Remanufacture, Recertify, Repair, and Replicate—to extend asset lifecycles and provide flexible sustainment options for system owners and depots.
In many cases, our engineers receive only outdated drawings or worn physical samples. Using dimensional scanning, X-ray, ultrasonic inspection, and non-destructive testing (NDT), we generate the data necessary to reestablish manufacturing capability. This includes detailed material analysis, coatings, plating processes, and tolerance requirements. Once the design is validated, prototypes are produced in our in-house Prototype Integration Facility (PIF) for fit, form, and function testing.
AS9100D Quality Management System
At Parts Life, Inc., quality is systematically built into our processes. Our organization’s quality management systems (QMS) is certified to ISO 9001 and AS9001D, two globally recognized quality standards that guide how we manage processes, reduce risks, and meet the demands of the aerospace and defense industries.
AS9100D certification enables streamlined process control, accelerates source approval timelines, and strengthens counterfeit mitigation to deliver supply chain reliability and operational continuity for mission-critical platforms.
In addition, Parts Life, Inc. is certified to AS9100D 8.3, the design and development clause within the AS9100D QMS. This section outlines how design and development must be managed to ensure quality from concept to completion. Whether reverse engineering legacy components or developing value-added engineered solutions for sustainment and lifecycle extension, our team follows defined stages of planning, review, validation, and change control. Clause 8.3 requires that risks are identified early, inputs are clearly understood, and all outputs are verified before production begins. It also ensures that any design changes are fully reviewed, documented, and approved.
Simplified Acquisition Process with Flexible Contract Vehicles
Our capabilities span DLA-managed procurements, SBIR Phase I–III efforts, and OTA-funded modernization programs. With a variety of both traditional and non-traditional contracting vehicles, Parts Life, Inc.’s contract vehicles stand out for their flexible acquisition strategies, offering a comprehensive range of options for rapid contracting. These vehicles are designed to streamline the procurement process, making it easier and faster for defense and government clients to access the necessary resources and capabilities. With a focus on agility and customization, Parts Life, Inc. provides a variety of solutions that can be tailored to meet specific project requirements and timelines. This approach significantly reduces the administrative burden on clients and accelerates response times to critical needs, offering the adaptability to meet the dynamic challenges of modern defense and government operations efficiently.
Remanufacturing Capabilities to Support Depot Overflow
Parts Life, Inc. provides remanufacturing services to augment depot capacity during periods of high operational demand. Our capabilities support overflow requirements by delivering form, fit, and function compliant components that meet established technical specifications and quality standards. This approach enables continuity of sustainment operations, reduces turnaround time, and maintains fleet availability when organic resources are limited.
Parts Life, Inc. is a certified AS9100D engineering service provider, manufacturer, and alternate source supplier for DMSMS and obsolete replacement components on military systems and subsystems. Our value-added reverse engineering processes address missing or incomplete technical data needed prior to manufacturing. Services, such as R.O.P.E.® (Rapid Obsolescence Planning and Execution) and 5R® (Reverse Engineering, Remanufacturing, Recertify, Repair, Replicate) deliver manufacturable technical data with source approval to manufacture replacement parts. In our Prototype Integration Facility, parts and components are manufactured and tested for form, fit, and function to ensure each piece meets and surpasses OEM requirements.
