Robust aluminum housing components for military systems

Modern military systems place the highest demands on housings and structural components: they must be shock-resistant, weather-resistant, lightweight, and reliable—even under extreme operating conditions. Aluminum is ideal for these requirements—especially when it is forged.

KAISER Aluminium-Umformtechnik supports defense technology clients in the customized development and manufacture of aluminum housings—exclusively based on customer drawings or as part of a co-engineering project. One exception is our own forging model for AR-15 housing parts, which is also available to smaller manufacturers.

Why use aluminum in military enclosures?

Aluminum has proven itself many times over as a material in defense technology—especially in housings that need to be precise, lightweight, and durable. The most important advantages:

• Lightweight – ideal for portable or mobile systems
• High strength with controlled geometry – especially through die forging
• Excellent corrosion resistance – even in weather conditions, sweat, or salt water
• Thermally and electrically conductive – advantageous for electronic components
• Non-magnetic – insensitive to magnetic fields

Drop forging in particular creates a pore-free, dimensionally stable structure with a directional grain pattern, which significantly increases resilience and service life – without excessive use of material.

Complex housing solutions – not standard, but custom-made

KAISER does not manufacture bearing housings or catalogued series solutions. Instead, each housing component is manufactured to order based on:

• customer drawings
• 3D CAD models
• Specifications for interface integration, wall thickness, load
• Optional: joint design (co-engineering)

Examples of frequently requested solutions:

• Housing parts AR 15
• Housing parts AR 10
• buffer housing
• folding shaft
• shoulder support

AR-15 housing as a special solution – the only pre-developed model

KAISER offers manufacturers of AR-15-compatible platforms its own series-proven forging model for lower and upper receivers. This special solution was developed to give even small OEMs access to high-quality forging technology without having to invest in their own dies.

features:

• High-precision, dimensionally accurate design
• Available in raw form or processed
• Optional: Anodized or pretreated surface
• Reproducible even in medium series quantities

This solution is the only exception to the otherwise pure manufacturing model based on customer drawings.

Manufacturing technology with responsibility and depth

At KAISER, the production of complex aluminum housings involves the following steps:

• Drop forging with defined fiber orientation
• Mechanical processing with high tolerance accuracy
• Surface finishing according to customer-specific requirements

In addition, KAISER provides consulting services in co-engineering—e.g., for optimizing wall thicknesses, tolerances, or mounting points.

Conclusion: Housing components that bear responsibility

Housings for military systems must do more than just protect—they are often load-bearing, functional components that must withstand extreme conditions.

KAISER Aluminium-Umformtechnik manufactures such components exclusively on an individual basis – based on drawings and specifications and in close consultation with the customer.

Only one solution is offered by KAISER itself: the AR-15 housing components, specifically designed for system providers with limited investment budgets.

Robustness is no coincidence – it is the result of precise manufacturing. Forged part by forged part.