May 22, 2017 | By Tess
A 25-year-old woman from Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates has become central to an effort to develop the Middle Eastern country’s first 3D printed aircraft interior components. Maryam Al-Kuwaiti, the forward-thinking engineer in question, is being recognized as a pioneer in the UAE’s additive manufacturing aerospace initiative.
Manufacutring engineer Maryam Al-Kuwaiti
Al-Kuwaiti, who is part of Strata Manufacturing PJSC’s joint project with Siemens and Etihad Airways to produce 3D printed aircraft parts, has an impressive resume. The 25-year-old completed her bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at the UAE University (UAEU), and held internships at the University of Oxford, California-based semiconductor company GlobalFoundries, and at the Airbus base in Toulouse, France.
Now, in addition to working as a manufacturing engineer on the 3D printing project at Strata’s base in Al Ain, she is working towards a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the UAEU.
At Strata, the Emirati engineer is helping to develop 3D printed parts that can be integrated into Etihad Airways’ aircraft interiors—an initiative which we’ve been following closely. In fact, the companies involved in the project recently unveiled their very first 3D printed interior part for an aircraft: an on-board monitor frame.
As the additive manufacturing project advances, Strata and Siemens will reportedly begin to focus more on how to mass produce these 3D printed interior parts for various airline clients in the Middle East region, intending to revolutionize the aircraft manufacturing industry.
"The world is moving toward a Fourth Industrial Revolution—or Industry 4.0—and this is leading to breakthroughs in advanced manufacturing and creating 'smart factories,' where people and machines work together seamlessly,” said Al-Kuwaiti. UAE-based Strata also recently announced its plans to establish a “Factory of the Future” for 3D printed aircraft components, which will be up and running by 2020.
Not only is Maryam Al-Kuwaiti a key player in developing the UAE’s first 3D printed aircraft interior components, she is also hoping to use her position as a female in the male-dominated industry to inspire other Emirati women to take on positions in the aerospace field.
"I'm sharing my experience and success story because I want to encourage more Emirati women to consider internships in the aerospace manufacturing field," she said. "The UAE plans to be a big player in Industry 4.0 and I would like to see more Emirati females applying for jobs in this industry.”
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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