Inofast Manufacturing

Inofast Manufacturing was founded in 1981 strictly as a commercial-grade fastener distributor. Early customers were simply in search of bulk standard fasteners, usually made from alloy steel and zinc plated.  Eventually, customers began to seek variations on the standards. Requests for odd lengths, left-hand threads, and other special dimensions prompted Inofast to purchase its first 2-axis lathe, an Okuma LB-15, in 1984. To satisfy demand, Inofast began to purchase and modify fastener blanks with our new machine.  Shortly after acquiring our first CNC machine tool, we began to supply Ingersoll Rand's pump division with fasteners produced to industrial-grade standards. This relationship expanded in 1987 to Ingersoll Rand's naval division and prompted Inofast to study and produce fasteners to military standards for the first time. With our certifications now reaching the Navy, we then had the opportunity to do direct Navy contracts for repair components and similar small-lot orders.  As engineers and employees of Ingersoll Rand moved throughout the industry in the late eighties and early nineties, we began to supply more customers demanding products of the highest quality. Among those early firms were Warren Pumps, Portland Valve, and John Crane. Our products expanded from general use fasteners to pump, valve, and turbine components; the tight seals and high rates of rotation of these parts demanded carefully-controlled dimensions as well as fine surface finishes.  As Inofast's business and product line expanded, our capacity followed suit with the addition of milling machines and new lathes. Although commercial-grade distribution was still important business to us, by 1994, it was clear that military and aerospace fasteners was a niche we could excel in. Taking our new direction seriously, in 1995, Inofast expanded its personnel to include a dedicated quality control department. This allowed us to analyze an increasing number of military and federal procurement specifications, making us a leader in the field.  To better cope with the huge amounts of data associated with quality-focused parts, in the mid-nineties Inofast developed a custom information system to track dimensions, store material properties, manage documents, and route production steps through our shop and various subcontractors. After 2000, our machining capacity continued to expand with the addition of a large, high-horsepower lathe suitable for turning large shafts. Other additions included our 8-axis mill/turn machining center and lathes with integrated live tooling to perform simple milling in a single setup.