Mar 31, 2017 | By Tess
UAE-based Strata Manufacturing, an advanced composite aero-structure manufacturer, has announced plans to establish a second manufacturing facility at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park in Abu Dhabi. The new facility, called Strata 2.0, will be built as a “Factory of the Future” and will feature many advanced manufacturing technologies and solutions, including 3D printing and other smart technologies.
Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park in Abu Dhabi
Strata Manufacturing, a wholly owned part of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company, was founded in 2009 and has gone on to work in partnership with many notable aerospace and manufacturing companies, including Boeing, Airbus, and Siemens (with whom it recently partnered to make the UAE’s first 3D printed aircraft interior parts). With the upcoming establishment of its second manufacturing facility, Strata says it is continuing towards its goal of becoming one of the top aero-structure companies in the world.
According to a press release, Strata 2.0 is expected to more than double the company’s current manufacturing capacity, and will span an impressive 60,000 square meters when complete. Strata is aiming to break ground on the project by 2018, and plans to have the new facility—which will be built next to its current one—operational by 2020.
Ismail Ali Abdulla, Deputy CEO of Strata Manufacturing, commented on the announcement: “Since its inception in 2009, Strata has been a catalyst for socio-economic growth, delivering on Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030. As we look to build upon our success to date, the ‘Factory of the Future’ vision is centered around the 4th industrial revolution. We have identified key guiding pillars for the new factory; Smart Building, Smart Manufacturing and a Smart Workforce. Strata 2.0 will unify these pillars inside the new iconic facility.”
Ismail Ali Abdulla
While it may be a few years before we see the products of the Strata 2.0 facility, the prospect of a new “Factory of the Future” is still very exciting. The new facility is part of Strata Manufacturing’s new business model, which is based on the notion that smart and connected technologies can facilitate analytical insights, and will thus help to address the current and future needs of the global aerospace industry in innovative and effective ways.
The vision for the Strata 2.0 facility is to “revolutionize traditional production methods in aerospace” with the increased integration of additive manufacturing, and other unspecified smart technologies. Once operational, the new factory will be tasked with manufacturing two complex work packages: the Horizontal Tail Plane (HTP) for the Airbus A320, and the Vertical Fin for Boeing’s B787 airliners. Strata 2.0 will be responsible for manufacturing, equipping, testing, and delivering the aerospace structures to their respective assembly lines.
“Strata has developed an ecosystem of its own in Al Ain, and it has been built on the trust and confidence of our global partners,” added Abdulla. “We are proud to have fostered an Emirati manufacturing talent base, now employing hundreds of highly-skilled male and female UAE nationals in a very dynamic setting, and they themselves will lead the introduction of Smart technologies in Strata 2.0.”
In recent years, the UAE has made significant headway in the integration and proliferation of 3D printing technologies, seeking to increase its applications in the aerospace, construction, medical, and consumer products sector. Within the field of aerospace, Strata Manufacturing is undoubtedly the Middle Eastern country’s beacon.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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