D-J Engineering Inc. meets aerospace, defense, and space launch manufacturing demands through engineering expertise
From Artemis mission hardware to aircraft components that haven’t been built in decades, D-J Engineering Inc. stands at the crossroads of engineering and manufacturing in aerospace. As investments in space launches grow and legacy defense platforms stay in service longer, more companies want partners who solve problems that don’t fit the usual manufacturing mold.
D-J Engineering has built its business around this unique space. Since 1992, this Kansas-based company has grown to four facilities across North America. By bringing engineering, manufacturing, tooling, assembly, and repairing together under one roof, it has become the go-to partner for customers tackling everything from reviving outdated production methods to machining advanced materials like Airware 2050 aluminum-lithium alloy.
Christopher ‘Chris’ Carmichael, Vice President of Government and Commercial Services, is helping lead this effort. He oversees government and commercial aerospace programs, business development, and customer relationships. Chris is positioning the company for a market that values flexibility, know-how, and real manufacturing control.
Chris’s path into aerospace manufacturing is part of a much longer journey, one that began with over 30 years in uniform. “I joined D-J Engineering after serving more than 31 years in the Army and Air Force. I retired as a Colonel and Logistics Readiness Officer, leading the 748th Supply Chain Operations Group at Hill Air Force Base. I managed a $2.5 billion budget and about a third of the Air Force’s aerospace parts. In a lot of ways, D-J Engineering was the perfect fit for me after retiring.”
Chris’ military career gave him firsthand experience of aerospace sustainment, supply chains, and asset readiness. It also shaped his understanding of a market increasingly reliant on manufacturers that can solve unconventional production challenges. That is where D-J Engineering has built its reputation, combining engineering and manufacturing expertise to support defense, commercial aerospace, and space launch programs. “Complex parts that other companies refuse to tackle is our business model.” At its core, D-J Engineering is all about problem-solving, bringing together engineering talent and production resources to take on projects others might shy away from.
Solving unconventional manufacturing challenges requires more than production capacity. It demands engineering expertise, process knowledge, and the ability to move seamlessly from concept to completion. D-J Engineering combines capabilities ranging from reverse engineering and machining to forming, assembly, additive manufacturing, and repair services. Supporting that breadth is a team of more than 20 engineers who work alongside production teams to help customers navigate technical and manufacturing challenges.
D-J Engineering keeps expanding what it handles in-house. This investment strategy is all about control, not just scale. Chris shares, “The benefits to vertical integration include expertise in production processes that enable collaboration with the customer, tighter quality control, and speed in manufacturing. When you’re working with obsolescence issues and recreating old manufacturing processes, control is critical.”
This becomes increasingly valuable as defense operators seek to sustain platforms that remain in service long after original production lines have closed. In many cases, making a replacement component takes more than just having a drawing. You must rebuild the production know-how, too.
One recent example is the E-3 Bogie Beam program with Boeing. Delivering the first fully assembled version of the component required D-J Engineering to qualify new processes, reverse engineer legacy methods, and work closely with stakeholders, effectively rebuilding manufacturing knowledge alongside production capability. “The E-3 Bogie Beam was challenging for several reasons, including outdated axle and truck assembly processes, complex plating, and a limited number of qualified outside processors on Boeing’s approved vendor list,” Chris explains.
He adds, “We worked directly with Boeing, got D-J Engineering qualified for new processes, reverse engineered what was necessary, and developed assembly techniques for a part that hasn’t been built in decades.” This project ultimately repositioned the company within the program. “Now, we’re the industry experts in E-3 Bogie Beam production.”
Space launch represents another area of growth for D-J Engineering. The company has supplied components to space programs for more than a decade and currently manufactures over 100 parts for the Artemis program. That work draws on expertise in large-format structures and advanced materials, including Airware 2050, an aluminum-lithium alloy increasingly used in aerospace applications where performance and weight considerations play a significant role.
“D-J Engineering doesn’t shy away from a challenge, whether it’s size, materials, new space parts, or obsolete parts. We’re experts with challenging materials like titanium, Inconel, and advanced aluminum-copper-lithium alloys like Airware 2050. That makes us a prime manufacturer for the space industry,” he points out.
As commercial and government investment in space grows, Chris sees a natural fit between the sector’s needs and D-J Engineering’s operating model. “Because of our flexibility, the low quantities needed for space, and our industry expertise, we’re perfectly positioned to grow. One of our biggest advantages is producing large-format parts. We keep expanding these capabilities to stay ahead as the industry evolves and gets more competitive.” Supporting that growth means building capabilities and keeping the workforce engaged. Located in one of the country’s aerospace hubs, D-J Engineering competes for talent while investing in its people. Chris credits the company’s culture as a big reason people stay. “Our CEO takes a multi-pronged approach, hiring experienced talent and developing people from within. D-J Engineering feels like family. Many of our employees have been here for decades and have no intention of leaving.”
When Chris looks at aerospace manufacturing today, he sees some of the same challenges and opportunities. Just as the company saw a need for extrusion decades ago, he believes another is emerging. “In 1996, there were few, if any, extrusion capabilities in aerospace. D-J Engineering filled that gap by building an extrusion plant in Conway Springs, Kansas. Right now, the aerospace industry has a shortage of casting facilities. D-J Engineering is in the early planning stages for a casting facility in Kansas.”
The next phase of growth is expected to follow a familiar path: identifying gaps in aerospace manufacturing and developing the capabilities needed to address them. Rather than pursuing expansion for its own sake, D-J Engineering remains focused on areas where engineering expertise and manufacturing capability can help customers solve complex challenges. “D-J Engineering is always growing and increasing capabilities. If we keep up our pace from the past 34 years, we’ll probably have new capabilities like 3-D metal printing, maybe forging, or even a new campus someday,” Chris says.
Aerospace programs are more varied than ever, from sustaining decades-old aircraft to helping launch missions beyond Earth orbit. D-J Engineering expects demand for engineering-led manufacturing to keep rising. For Chris, that variety is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
Looking ahead, D-J Engineering expects aerospace customers to keep balancing the needs of legacy platforms, defense readiness, and space exploration. For the company, that means always adapting as requirements change. “We don’t make the same parts over and over on an assembly line. We never know what’s coming down the line, and that makes it exciting and challenging.” In many ways, that uncertainty reflects the company’s unique place in the industry. “D-J Engineering is often called when a program needs a manufacturing solution that doesn’t exist yet. Supporting those efforts, especially in defense and space, motivates us every day. Being part of our national defense and space program is extremely rewarding,” Chris concludes.
