RP Abrasives (RPA), a provider of mechanical surface finishing services for a wide range of industries, has recently been approved for ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) licensing. ITAR imposes license requirements on exports and re-exports on items subjected to its jurisdiction related to defense services. International Traffic Arms Regulations are administered through the State Department by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).
Though not well known, this is an area of regulation that is of vital importance to government contracting firms. ITAR was originally developed to regulate military products and services. At its core of regulations is a list of products called the U.S. Munitions List (USML). The US Munitions List (Part 121 under Title 22, Code of Federal Relations) governs what articles must have a defense export license with some being classified as Significant Military Equipment (SME).
The broad array of products and services listed under the USML is varied and diverse. As a premier company in mechanical surface finishing, RPA performs services related to defense industry product lines.
“Most of our aerospace and defense customers have both ITAR controlled and regular commercial work. This allows us to support both categories of work for our customers so we are very pleased to offer this to our customers.” said Joe Shean, President of RP Abrasives.
All structural material coatings and finishes specifically designated for military applications necessitate ITAR licensing. RPA’s advanced area of expertise in mechanical surface finishing has drawn favorable attention for the company and is widely recognized by the defense industry as a third party processor.
Surface Finishing for the Defense Industry
Finishing jobs provided by RPA for the defense industry consist of pre-plate, pre-paint, and final finishes on a variety of metals. This includes titanium, stainless steel, aluminum, cold roll steel, and many types of polymers. Our full line of services supports any combination of high energy tumbling, blasting, mass finishing, polishing and buffing, and deburring. RPA also provides citric acid passivation processes for stainless steel and titanium that is compliant with all industry standards and specifications.