Siemens and Strata to develop MENA’s first 3D-printed aircraft interior parts for Etihad

Three of the biggest global players in industrial equipment manufacturing and aviation - Siemens AG, Strata Manufacturing PJSC and Etihad Airways - are to work together to develop the first 3D-printed parts for aircraft interiors in the Middle East and North Africa. 

The partnership aims to revolutionize the aerospace industry, leveraging additive manufacturing, known as 3D printing, to help airlines to improve their designs, including making complex parts on demand and manufacturing discontinued parts.

Under the partnership, a pilot project will develop 3D printing solutions for aircraft cabin interior products for Etihad, the UAE’s national carrier. These will be the first 3D-printed aviation parts designed, manufactured and certified in the UAE, Middle East and the entire Asian world. Siemens will leverage its global expertise in digitalization and 3D printing to consult on the selection of materials, testing and the preparation of processes. The design team of Etihad Airways Engineering will workto certify the parts, and Strata will manufacture the parts in its factory. 

Leveraging the success of the pilot project, Siemens and Strata expect to investigate the development of a strategic three-year joint roadmap for the further industrialization of additive manufacturing in the UAE, the wider Middle East and North Africa. The roadmap will include training and the development of UAE citizens with the required skills for further deployment of 3D printing technology. 

Etihad sees huge potential for 3D printing technology in aviation over conventional manufacturing methods, enabling faster on-demand production of complex parts and discontinued parts, and making design improvements by airlines very feasible. 

“The biggest challenge for the use of flying 3D-printed parts in aviation is certification and we are ready to tackle it and make it a reality,” said Jeff Wilkinson, Etihad Airways Engineering CEO. “Etihad Airways Engineering will be using its expertise and major design certification approval (Design Organization Approval - Part 21J) to design and certify the first 3D-printed part for aircraft cabin in the UAE. We will be partnering with the certification authority and with Strata to make certified 3D printing for aviation in the UAE a reality,” he said. 

Siemens has been an active user of additive manufacturing since 1989, and continues to promote the development and industrialization of the technology. The company is the only maker of industrial equipment worldwide to offer an end-to-end portfolio for 3D printing that combines automation and digitalization. 

“We see great opportunities for 3D printing as a disruptive force in manufacturing, and expect it to play a key role in a globally competitive, increasingly digitalized industrial landscape in the Middle East,” said Assem Khalaili, Executive Vice President, Industry Customer Services, at Siemens Middle East. “This is highly relevant technology for the region’s development of an increasingly digitalized and diversified economic landscape, across a wide range of sectors. We are proud to be working with Strata and Etihad to advance 3D printing and strengthen local manufacturing here in the region.”

The Siemens portfolio in 3D printing includes computer-aided design (CAD) software, control, automation and drive systems for additive manufacturing machinery, and the comprehensive digital modeling of all processes. The technology has revolutionized the manufacture of components. Siemens uses it to manufacture parts for industrial gas turbines and rail vehicles, making the design, production and delivery of parts faster, enabling rapid prototyping, manufacture and repair. 

Strata will explore 3D printing technology for a range of applications to aid its manufacturing processes in aerostructures in areas such as tooling, fixtures and consumables using metallic and non-metallic materials. Badr Al-Olama, CEO of Strata and head of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit Organising Committee, said 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize aerospace manufacturing. 

“Strata is proud to facilitate the application of 3D printing technology in the aerospace field in the UAE for our national carrier Etihad, through our partnership with Siemens. Our goal is to deploy this technology on practical applications that will allow development of local knowledge building in various aspects of this technology that will lead to future innovations that can benefit the broader aerospace industry. The partnership echoes one of the key objectives of GMIS which is to harness the potential of collaboration in solving global problems and making manufacturing accessible to everyone everywhere,” said Al-Olama. 

The announcement of the partnership comes as Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital city, prepares to host the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit from 27-30 March 2017. The international platform will bring together innovators across key sectors, including aerospace and industrial equipment, and from the public sector and civil society to adapt global manufacturing to the needs of the world’s future economy, citizens and environment. The Summit, co-hosted by UNIDO and the UAE Ministry of Economy, will bring together some of the biggest names in global manufacturing and policymaking, including Siemens and Etihad. 

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens generated revenue of €79.6 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2016, the company had around 351,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

About GMIS As the world’s first cross-industry forum, GMIS is a global gathering for manufacturing minds. It is a voice and a venue for global manufacturing transformation. More than 1,200 delegates will attend, including world leaders, industry CEOs, policy-makers, specialist researchers and academics. GMIS will deliver (i) a voice for transformational ideas, (ii) a venue for the generation of new networks and cross-industry partnerships, (iii) a showcase for pilot projects arising from cross-industry research, and (iv) a post-event report with recommendations for action to be submitted to global stakeholders. It is planned that GMIS will be held in leading global cities every other year, with the inaugural GMIS in Abu Dhabi in March 2017. See www.gmisummit.com. 

 About Strata Strata Manufacturing PJSC (Strata) is a composite aero-structures manufacturing facility based in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Established in 2009, with production beginning in 2010, Strata has partnerships with the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, as well as a supplier to Leonardo-Finmeccanica Aero-structures Division, FACC AG, SAAB and S.A.B.C.A.

Strata is wholly owned by Mubadala Development Company PJSC (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company.

Strata manufactures various parts on Airbus, Boeing and ATR aircrafts:

Airbus A330 family Flap Track Fairings

Airbus A330 family Ailerons

Airbus A330 family Spoilers

Airbus A380 family Flap Track Fairings

Airbus A350 – 900 family Flap Support Fairings

Airbus A350 – 1000 family Flap Support Fairings

ATR 42/72 Vertical Fin

ATR 42/72 Rudder Boeing

B777 Empennage Ribs; andBoeing

B787 Vertical Fin Ribs.

About Etihad Airways Engineering:

Etihad Airways Engineering is the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East.

As part of the Etihad Aviation Group, the company offers line, light and heavy maintenance services around the clock, including design, advanced composite repair, cabin refurbishment and component services, from its state-of-the-art facility adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

About Etihad Aviation Group:Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) is a diversified global aviation and travel group comprising four business divisions – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways Engineering, Hala Group and Airline Equity Partners. The group has minority investments in seven airlines: airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Jet Airways, Virgin Australia, and Swiss-based Darwin Airline, trading as Etihad Regional.

From its Abu Dhabi base, Etihad Airways flies to, or has announced plans to serve, more than 110 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The airline has a fleet of over 120 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with 204 aircraft on firm order, including 71 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777Xs, 62 Airbus A350s and 10 Airbus A380s. For more information, please visit: etihad.com