333517: Machine Tool Manufacturing

What this code covers

Census assigns 333517 to plants that make metal cutting and metal forming machine tools other than handheld ones: lathes, milling machines, machining centers, grinders, drilling and boring machines, electrical discharge and laser cutting machines, presses, press brakes, shears, punches, and forging machinery. Rebuilding machine tools belongs here too, which is how many small firms enter the code.

For defense work the buyers are the government shops themselves: depots, arsenals, shipyards, and NASA centers that cut and form metal in house. Machine tool accessories and cutting tools sit in nearby codes.

What federal buyers typically ask for

Notices under this code are equipment buys and rebuild or retrofit services. Army depots and arsenals, Navy shipyards and fleet readiness centers, Air Force air logistics complexes, and NASA centers post them, often as commercial item purchases with a brand name or equal description, installation, operator training, and a warranty. Rebuild and control retrofit work posts as a service on an existing machine, sometimes with a site visit before quotes are due.

Quality terms differ from part buys. Expect a performance specification with accuracy and repeatability tests, acceptance testing on site, safety and electrical standards, and documentation such as manuals and maintenance schedules. Domestic preference rules such as the Buy American statute apply to the machine, so country of manufacture matters. Small business dealers should know the nonmanufacturer rule, which limits who may supply another firm's product on a set-aside. Some facilities require security processing for installers.

Set-asides vary. Large machines often go unrestricted; smaller equipment and rebuild services often post as total small business set-asides.