UAE's Strata to open 'Factory of the Future' by 2020

The UAE's Strata Manufacturing, Mubadala's advanced composite aero-structures manufacturer, says it will open its second facility – a 'Factory of the Future' - at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park. The facility, due to be fully operational 2020, will feature a range of smart technology solutions and equipment to support Strata's ambition in becoming one of the top aero-structure companies globally.
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The new facility will manufacture two of the most complex work packages - the Horizontal Tail Plane) for the Airbus A320 and the Vertical Fin for Boeing’s B787 airliners – which will be fully equipped, tested and delivered directly to the final assembly lines of both Airbus and Boeing.

Ismail Ali Abdulla, Strata’s Deputy CEO (pictured right) said the new Strata 2.0 factory would align achievements with future opportunities and would be centered around the 4th industrial revolution.

“We have identified key guiding pillars for the new factory; smart building, smart manufacturing and a smart workforce,” he said.   

The new facility will more than double Strata’s existing capacity assisting Abu Dhabi’s long-term goal of achieving economic diversification and driving global competitiveness for the UAE’s manufacturing sector. The new 60,000 square metre factory will be right next door to Strata’s existing Nibras facility. Factory construction is expected to start next year. 

The Strata CEO says the new factory will deliver on innovative solutions that will seek to revolutionise traditional aerospace production methods by introducing Smart technologies and additive manufacturing. The result, he says will be a unique and seamless flow, combining real time visibility on operations with cognitive decision making, to drive efficiencies, eliminate waste, elevate quality and unlock greater value for the shareholder, customers and employees.  

“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. 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,” said Abdulla.