His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has confirmed that the UAE, led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, is working to strengthen its position as a regional and global hub for the aviation industry, Emirates news agency WAM reported.
Visiting Strata Manufacturing, the composite aero structures manufacturing facility based in the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, H.H. reinforced that the company is an essential component of the UAE’s aviation and manufacturing strategy.
During the visit he noted that Strata’s continued efforts to support the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside other UAE companies and institutions, confirms the country’s ability to continue implementing its ambitious strategy even when faced with today’s current challenges.
H.H. toured Strata’s facilities, where he was briefed on the company's products, including the aircraft structures manufactured at the plant for major international aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. His Highness also heard about the various technologies and innovations incorporated into the company’s production methods, in line with trends associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as the recent addition of the N95 respirator production line at the facility.
The tour began with an address on Strata’s progress since its establishment in 2009, including the establishment of the industrial facilities, production of aerostructures and the new expansion project known as “Strata Plus”, launched in July last year to cater for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner vertical fins work package.
Sheikh Mohamed was also briefed on the various aerostructures that Strata supplies to major global aircraft manufacturers, in line with world class industrial capabilities, including the production of the glass fiber Airbus A330 flap track fairings, the carbon fiber Airbus A350 flap support fairings and the Airbus A380 flap track farings which are the largest aircraft fairings in the world.
In addition, H.H. was briefed on other products manufactured at Strata, such as the Airbus A330 spoiler as well as the Airbus A330 ailerons. He was also briefed on the Airbus A350-900 inboard flaps. During the tour, the Pilatus PC-24 business jet belly fairing was presented, this component covers gaps and spaces between parts of an aircraft to reduce drag.
Also showcased during the tour was Strata’s latest addition, the vertical fin assembly line for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the largest and most advanced part manufactured in Strata.
The visit also included a presentation for H.H. on the new technologies being developed at Strata along the various innovations deployed within the company. This included the automated drilling robot which is used in assembling complex structures for the A350-900 inboard flaps. A similar robot was also developed by Strata and Boeing and used for the very first time at Strata’s facilities. In addition, H.H. was briefed on an innovative mobile robot used for quality assurance and production supervision; this technology has been particularly advantageous during the current pandemic when staffing levels had to be reduced.
Also presented during the tour was the architectural model of the Strata Solvay Advanced Materials Factory in Al Ain. This joint venture with Solvay, the Belgian specialized manufacturer of compound materials and chemicals, represents a major milestone in Strata's efforts to diversify its product base and also makes Strata the first supplier of aerospace grade composite materials in the MENA region, and the fourth supplier globally.
H.H. also met the team behind the N95 respirator production line at Strata, which the company launched in cooperation with Honeywell, as part of Mubadala’s efforts to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic locally. The new production line, which began manufacturing respirator with an annual production capacity of over 30 million, is the first production line for N95 respirators in the Gulf region and aims to meet the increased global demand for personal protection equipment, PPE.
In addition, H.H. reviewed the range of other PPE products that Strata has embarked on to reduce the spread of the pandemic. He concluded his visit by looking at the advanced equipment used in Strata’s state-of-the-art Contamination Controlled Area, Clean Room, in addition to the first sports bicycle manufactured in the UAE using composite materials, in cooperation with Khalifa University of Science and Technology.