Barber Nichols

At a Glance

• Company Name: Barber-Nichols
• Location: Arvada, Colorado, USA
• Shop Type: OEM / Advanced Contract Manufacturer (High-Precision Engineering & CNC Machining)
• Industries Served: Aerospace, Defense, Cryogenics, Energy, Space Systems, Transportation
• Typical Work: High-mix / Low-volume / Prototype-to-Production / Mission-Critical Components
• Machining Capabilities: 3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Mill-Turn, VTL, Precision Grinding, ECM
• Materials: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium, High-Nickel Superalloys (Inconel-class), Exotic Aerospace Alloys
• Certifications: AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR Compliant, Defense & Aerospace Quality Systems
• Shift Environment: Day Shift & Second Shift (role-dependent), Overtime available on demand

About Barber-Nichols

Barber-Nichols is a premier aerospace and defense turbomachinery manufacturer located in Arvada, Colorado, supporting some of the most advanced engineering programs in the world.

Founded over 55 years ago, the company has grown from a small engineering operation into a highly specialized OEM delivering mission-critical turbomachinery systems used in space exploration, national defense, cryogenics, and advanced energy applications.

BN is trusted by leading organizations including NASA and the U.S. Navy for programs such as planetary exploration systems and naval defense platforms.

This is a shop built around precision engineering, complex machining, and high-reliability manufacturing, where every component has a real-world mission impact.

The Work You’ll Be Doing

Machinists at Barber-Nichols work on high-complexity, mission-critical components where precision and repeatability matter.

You will work on:

• Turbomachinery components (impellers, housings, rotors, seals)
• Aerospace and defense assemblies for space and naval systems
• Complex precision components with tight tolerances
• High-value prototype and low-volume production programs
• Components used in extreme environments (cryogenic, high-speed, high-pressure systems)

Production Style:

• High-mix, low-volume machining
• Prototype + production hybrid environment
• Engineering-driven manufacturing with close collaboration

Typical Tolerances:

• Tight-tolerance aerospace machining (application-dependent, often extremely precise)

Programming & Setup:

• Setup-heavy machining environment
• CNC operation with strong emphasis on precision setup and quality control
• Collaboration with engineering and programming teams

Materials Machined:

• Titanium
• Stainless steel
• Aluminum
• High-nickel superalloys (Inconel-class materials)
• Advanced aerospace-grade alloys

Machining Capabilities

• CNC Milling (3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis)
• CNC Turning & Mill-Turn Operations
• Vertical Turret Lathe (VTL) Machining
• Precision Grinding (ID/OD, surface grinding)
• Electro-Chemical Machining (ECM) for complex geometries
• Prototype-to-production manufacturing
• Build-to-print + engineering collaboration programs

CNC Equipment

Multi-Axis / Advanced Systems

• 5-axis CNC mills (up to 30-inch cube machining envelope)
• CNC lathes (up to 40” swing, 72” Z-axis travel)
• Horizontal machining systems
• VTL systems for large cylindrical components

Precision & Specialty Processes

• Combination ID/OD grinding systems
• ECM machining systems for complex aerospace geometries

Inspection Equipment

• CMM systems (multiple large-format inspection machines)
• Optical comparators
• Full precision metrology toolset

Software & Engineering Tools

CAD / CAM / Engineering Analysis

• SolidWorks (3D modeling)
• ANSYS (stress, thermal, vibration analysis)
• CFD tools (CFX, NASA-based systems, proprietary tools)
• MATLAB / Simulink system modeling
• Rotordynamics tools (XL-Rotor, XL-Bearing Suite)
• Electrical & motor design tools (SPEED, MagneForce)
• Circuit design tools (SPICE, Altium, Quartus)

Quality, Inspection & Certifications

Barber-Nichols maintains aerospace-grade quality systems ensuring full compliance and traceability.

• AS9100 & ISO 9001 certified quality systems
• ITAR-compliant manufacturing environment
• Full in-process and final inspection protocols
• CMM-based dimensional inspection capability
• Optical comparator and precision metrology systems
• Strict documentation and traceability standards

This ensures machinists operate in a high-accountability, precision-driven manufacturing environment where quality is non-negotiable.

Why Machinists Choose to Work at Barber-Nichols

Machinists choose BN because:

• You work on real aerospace and defense programs with mission impact
• Highly complex machining — not repetitive production work
• Exposure to advanced processes like 5-axis machining and ECM
• Strong engineering collaboration environment
• Long-term stability with 55+ years of proven performance
• Opportunity to grow into advanced machining, setup leadership, or technical specialist roles
• Culture of precision, ownership, and craftsmanship

Open CNC Machinist Jobs

Barber-Nichols is currently hiring for:

• CNC Machinist III – 3/4/5-Axis Milling & Turning
• Machinist III – Second Shift Lathe & VTL Operations

👉 View current CNC machining jobs at Barber-Nichols