Critical screw for missiles and planes hard to buy
The gist
Precision ball screws for Patriot missiles and planes are in short supply.
A new Saginaw, Michigan plant aims to ease a defense supply choke point.
How it unfolded
- Sep 26, 2026The New York Times reports that precision ball screws, essential to Patriot missiles, airplanes and humanoid robots, are in short supply, adding months or even years to missile production.
- Sep 28, 2026Salient Motion announces the launch of Saginaw Precision, a new division in Saginaw, Michigan focused on precision ball screws and roller screws for aerospace, defense, robotics and other high-performance actuation applications.
- Sep 28, 2026Saginaw Precision says it has cut custom prototype lead times from years to eight weeks, and its SP-1 facility is projected to reach capacity of approximately 50,000 ball screws annually by 2027.