Strata aiming at top three in the world by 2015

Speaking at a conference looking at the future for aerospace manufacturing and organised by the Middle East Aerospace Consortium, Eric Sparrow the engineering head of the Strata business said the company had a clear strategic plan to be among the top three global aerostructures businesses within five years.

The first steps for this plan are now clearly in view as the first of three 21,000 square metre manufacturing facilities are being built at Al Ain airport in the UAE, where the conference was being held.

“The first factory will be complete in May , we expect inspection and certification in June and then start full production in September,” Sparrow said.

The key to success in the venture will be the gradual integration of engineers and artisans from the Emirates.

“Nothing is going to happen unless we have local ownership,” Sparrow said. “We have set up a three-year training programme and are hand-picking youngsters from schools.

“They will work for a year here and then with our partners who could be overseas or in our in our own facility. Getting equipment is easy. Getting the right level of talent is the challenge.”

Sparrow said the company was looking at other expansion opportunities that would help them be in position as a tier one supplier for the next generation of passenger jets expected later this decade.

“We expect to have eventually around  800 staff by 2014.

Strata announced the first production contract with Airbus, at the Dubai Air Show last year. This is for the manufacture of aileron composite panels and the production of assembled aileron shipsets for the A330 / A340 aircraft series.

The two agreements represent the first work packages directly from Airbus under the Master Supply Agreement signed between EADS/Airbus and Mubadala in November 2008.

The aileron work packages include:

Composite panels - in 2011, Strata will commence manufacture of carbon fibre panel skins of the aileron components and will be the global sole source provider for Airbus of these components.

Assembled aileron shipsets - By mid 2012 Strata will become dual source supplier for assembled aileron shipsets, alongside the Airbus plant in Nantes, France. Strata will produce up to five shipsets of ailerons per month.

Training for the engineers and artisans will take place at the Al Ain International Aviation Academy.

Academy Director, Paul Clark, said the Academy would be installing autoclaves to enable the youngsters to get daily hands -on manufacturing experience. “This is a world-class facility,” Clark said. “We are working with Airbus   and then developing our own trainers. It is an exciting project.”