"There are no service calls in space," says Bob Bergstrom, president of St. Vrain Manufacturing. This statement exemplifies the sense of urgency that accompanies St. Vrain's drive to manufacture products with zero defects. That is a common goal among manufacturers, but it is even more important for this Longmont, Colorado job shop - parts machined here often wind up thousands or even millions of miles from Earth as components of orbiting satellites, space vehicles or even robots exploring the surface of Mars. Additionally, raw material can cost more than $10,000 per piece, so doing the job right the first time is critical.
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