TIGHITCO introduces patent-pending automated blade balancing technology for rotorcraft applications

TIGHITCO, Inc., a leading provider of advanced composite structures and assemblies, today announced the introduction of a patent-pending automated blade balancing technology designed to significantly enhance the precision, consistency, and efficiency of rotorcraft component manufacturing.

Developed by TIGHITCO’s internal automation and engineering teams, the new system replaces a traditionally manual, labor-intensive process with a fully integrated, data-driven solution. The technology combines robotics, closed-loop sensing, and real-time measurement analytics to achieve highly repeatable balance characteristics across rotating aerospace structures.

By minimizing variability in a critical manufacturing step, TIGHITCO’s automated process enables tighter tolerances, reduced rework, and increased throughput — helping customers meet demanding production schedules while maintaining performance, safety, and long-term reliability requirements.

The capability supports both legacy aircraft programs and emerging next-generation platforms across commercial, defense, and special-mission rotorcraft markets.

“Achieving precise balance in rotorcraft blades requires extremely tight control over mass distribution and measurement accuracy,” said Daniel Hinson, Vice President of Engineering at TIGHITCO, Inc. “Our patent-pending automated system removes much of the variability inherent in manual processes, allowing us to deliver highly repeatable results while improving efficiency and scalability for production environments.”

“This patent-pending technology represents a major advancement in rotorcraft manufacturing capability,” said Mark Withrow, President and CEO of TIGHITCO. “By combining automation, precision measurement, and data-driven control, we are delivering a more consistent, scalable solution for blade balancing — one that improves performance while supporting the increasing production demands of today’s aerospace programs.”