Increasing productivity in the aeronautic industry is the motto behind the technologies that Akaer is developing. Headquartered in São José dos Campos (SP), the company takes pride for being the winner of three calls to participate in joint projects with Swedish institutions. Furthermore, the company was able to build a huge contact network in Brazil and the Scandinavian country, which surpasses over a dozen partners, all working in synergy in the development of new technologies.
Currently, there are two projects under way. The first aims to develop a flexible tool for aeronautics. The challenge is huge, since traditionally the aircraft assembly equipment is fixed to the ground, fully immobile.
“The tools that make the right wing cannot make the left wing”, exemplifies Joselito Henriques, Akaer’s R&D and Innovation Director.
According to him, flexibility can reduce the assembly time, considerably increasing productivity. And there is more. The current model keeps the equipment idle for a long time, occupying precious space in the industrial environment. The flexible tool would put an end to this problem as well.
Henriques emphasizes that the greatest focus of this work is not limited to manufacturing the technology itself. To him, establishing the competence to master the flexible tool development in Brazil is detrimental, for it brings know-how to the country that can applied to several other situations. “This knowledge will allow us to take inputs to the large aeronautic companies, so they can develop their products based on the use of this tool”, he explains.
The second project that Akaer is developing is within the field of additive manufacturing, which involves the use of 3D printers. The idea is that this equipment be used to manufacture structural parts for planes, which would drastically reduce the time and costs in the production process. However, it is not yet known how such parts developed this way will behave in everyday situations. The company has been focusing on safety test methodology with this in mind.
“The works involve a true star team”, says Henriques. “It’s as if there was a bridge. On one side we have an industry with its specific needs, on the other, academia with its researches. We act in the middle, making a connection between both sides and ensuring the entire process runs completely in synergy,” he says.
The expectation is for the work to continue. In January, representatives of the Swedish company visited Brazil to perform a workshop that lasted a week.“The experience consolidated the company’s contact network,” says Henriques.
Source: http://www.cisb.org.br