---
title: "West Coast Industries: Aerospace Tooling | AMT PostPro"
description: "West Coast Industries and GoProto needed durable, low thermal conductivity handles for a pneumatic aircraft drilling tool: a PostPro3D case study."
canonical: https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/west-coast-industries-saves-time-and-money-for-aerospace/
updated: 2026-10-06
type: case-study
---
Case study · Aerospace & UAV

# West Coast Industries: cost-efficient aerospace tooling

West Coast Industries, an aircraft and aerospace tooling manufacturer, worked with GoProto Inc, a product development and custom manufacturing firm in San Diego, California, to produce highly durable parts.

[Read the full case study (PDF, opens in a new tab)](https://6983077.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6983077/Website/Case%20Studies/AMT_CS_UPTIVE%20IMPROVING%20AEROSPACE%20TOOLING.pdf?ver=2) [Test your parts](https://amtechnologies.com/test-your-parts/)

Published Jan 23, 2023 Free download, no form

![Two 3D-printed tool handles side by side](https://amtechnologies.com/img/resources/cs-west-coast-800.webp)

Photo · Printed handles for the portable drilling tool.

- **Customer**: West Coast Industries
- **With**: GoProto Inc
- **Industry**: Aerospace & UAV
- **Application**: Handles for a portable aircraft drilling tool
- **Printing**: HP Multi Jet Fusion
- **Finishing**: PostPro3D
- **Published**: Jan 23, 2023

## The challenge

West Coast Industries uses a metal portable tool to drill high-precision holes in loaded aircraft components. Compressed air drives the tool through a 2.5 HP air motor, and the hot air became an issue for operators’ hands. The tools are also dropped often, and the material and shape of the handle made them expensive to replace. The fragile parts had become a major issue in the production chain.[PDF](https://6983077.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6983077/Website/Case%20Studies/AMT_CS_UPTIVE%20IMPROVING%20AEROSPACE%20TOOLING.pdf?ver=2)

## What the parts needed

Complex geometries, low thermal conductivity and the durability to pass destructive testing.

The full case study shows how West Coast Industries saved time and money while improving part performance, with parts finished on PostPro3D, the earlier generation of AMT’s automated vapor smoothing systems.

Result

Time and money saved with better part performance[PDF](https://6983077.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6983077/Website/Case%20Studies/AMT_CS_UPTIVE%20IMPROVING%20AEROSPACE%20TOOLING.pdf?ver=2)

Full case study

The complete story as a PDF. Free, no form to fill in.

[Download the PDF (opens in a new tab)](https://6983077.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6983077/Website/Case%20Studies/AMT_CS_UPTIVE%20IMPROVING%20AEROSPACE%20TOOLING.pdf?ver=2)

Related

- [All case studies](https://amtechnologies.com/resources/case-studies/)

West Coast Industries on video

## Watch the test

Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.

[Watch on YouTube:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ci2eMJezM)

Footage · Apr 27, 2020 Length 2:52

### _AMT & GoProto Conduct Impact Test on 3D Printed Parts Before & After Post Processing_

An impact test for West Coast Industries: pneumatic drill handles printed on HP MJF by GoProto, thrown unprocessed and vapor smoothed on the PostPro3D, the first-generation system.

[Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ci2eMJezM)

Test your parts

## Send us a part. See it smoothed.

We vapor smooth your own parts and send them back with the results. No cost to evaluate · Parts returned · Typical turnaround 2–3 weeks[1]

[Test your parts](https://amtechnologies.com/test-your-parts/) [See the systems](https://amtechnologies.com/products/vapor-smoothing/)

## Sources

1. [PostPro benchmarking: send us your 3D printed parts](https://benchmarking.amtechnologies.com/) · AMT · read Oct 6, 2026