How Accurate Dial is Building the Future of Aerospace Manufacturing

Since 1958, Accurate Dial and Nameplate has been quietly shaping some of the most iconic aerospace projects in history. A family owned shop now in its second generation, Accurate Dial blends deep customer relationships with cutting edge manufacturing tools to keep pace with the demands of today and tomorrow.

We had the pleasure of catching up with Vice President Erin Dyer and Operations Manager James Dyer to see how the shop is evolving. James brought CNC machining into the business and has been steadily modernizing their equipment, processes, and quoting strategy. And along the way, Toolpath has become an essential part of their toolkit.

"Toolpath provided exactly what we needed almost immediately," says James. "The accuracy and efficiency it brought allowed us to confidently take on more complex jobs without the quoting bottleneck."

Accurate Dial uses Fusion 360 for CAD/CAM and has found a sweet spot using 5th Axis zero point workholding with a 4th axis rotary. This gives them a smart and efficient way to tackle jobs that would typically require full 3+2 machining. Their tooling strategy and fixturing approach are setting the stage for future growth.

That future includes 5 axis machining with pallet systems. And with Toolpath's Chatter platform, they’re already gaining insights into what's happening on the shop floor even when no one is there. While they’re not running lights out yet, Chatter is giving them the confidence to explore that next step.

"Chatter gives us greater visibility and understanding of what's happening on our shop floor," says James. "We're excited about the potential for lights out manufacturing, knowing Chatter will offer peace of mind and immediate notifications if there are any issues."

This is exactly what Toolpath was built for empowering shops to blend tribal knowledge with software powered workflows. From quoting to monitoring, Toolpath is helping Accurate Dial stay nimble, deliver faster, and explore bigger opportunities without losing the relationships and values that built the business.

Toolpath is more than a tool, it's a productivity partner for growing shops. Whether you're quoting your first parts, scaling production, or making the leap into automation, Toolpath gives you the insight and speed to make confident decisions. Shops like Accurate Dial aren’t just using Toolpath to work faster, they’re using it to work smarter.

Because when your shop has been trusted for generations, the right tools don’t replace that legacy they carry it forward.