COUNTRY FOCUS: UAE
ONE TO WATCH
Under the partnership, a pilot project will
develop 3D printing solutions for aircraft
cabin interior products for Etihad.
Siemens will consult on the selection of
materials, testing, and the preparation
of processes. The design team of
Etihad Airways Engineering will work
to certify the parts, and Strata will
manufacture the parts in its factory.
G
erman conglomerate
Siemens AG, Abu
Dhabi-based Strata
Manufacturing, and Abu Dhabi
airline Etihad Airways announced
they will work together to develop
the first 3D-printed parts for
aircraft interiors in the Middle East
and North Africa.
A joint statement from the three
companies, the partnership
aims to leverage additive
manufacturing, known as
3D printing, to help airlines
improve their designs, and will
include making complex parts
on demand and manufacturing
discontinued parts.
H
E Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and
Chairman of the Board of Executive
Directors of the Roads and Transport
Authority (RTA), said that RTA had moved forward
in implementing Dubai Smart Driverless Mobility
Strategy launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Such a
strategy, says Al Tayer, envisions transforming
25% of total mobility journeys in Dubai into
driverless journeys aboard various transit means
by 2030. “The RTA has recently embarked on the
trial run of an autonomous vehicle in the Business
Bay area, following a successful debut in the
Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard and the World
Trade Centre,” noted Al Tayer.
“The RTA has formed a committee to oversee
all projects & initiatives relating to Dubai Future
Accelerators Program. During its participation
in the first edition of the Program, the RTA
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Following the pilot project, Siemens
and Strata expect to look into the
development of a three-year joint road
map for the further industrialisation
of 3D printing in the UAE. The road
map will include training and the
development of UAE citizens with the
required skills for further deployment
of 3D printing technology.
Etihad said it sees huge potential for
3D printing technology in aviation
over conventional manufacturing
methods, enabling faster on-demand
production of complex parts and
discontinued parts.
discussed the development of the Hyper Loop
technology, possibility of using it in public
transport and the technological aptitude of Dubai
for hosting new transit modes such as driverless
buses & vehicles.
“The RTA has selected three companies as part
of the Dubai Future Accelerators Program, one
of them is Hyperloop One, with which an MoU
has been signed to study the feasibility of the
Hyperloop technology in linking Dubai with other
destinations in the UAE. During the trial run, a
study will be commissioned to verify the viability
of introducing the technology along with its
economic feasibility. The system is still fairly new
and has yet to be experimented or tested on
the ground and its safety certifications had not
been issued. So it has been agreed to explore the
feasibility of providing this technology in Dubai
in future without setting a timeline for the time
being,” explained Al Tayer.
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