\nAkaer group
\nR&D Center<\/strong>
\nS\u00e3o Jos\u00e9 dos Campos (SP)
\nNo. of researchers<\/strong>
\n37
\nMain products<\/strong>
\nAerospace engineering, aerostructures (wings, fuselages, landing gear), tooling for the production of aircraft parts, and aerospace systems<\/div>\n
Akaer\u2019s cooperation with Saab began in 2009 when it was selected as an international partner to the program that develops the new generation of the Gripen fighter, which took its maiden flight in December 1988. The Brazilian firm was engaged in the structural design of the wings, main landing gear door, central fuselage, and rear fuselage. \u201cIt is interesting to note that Akaer became a Saab supplier well before the Brazilian Air Force picked the Gripen for its fleet. This was a testament to the company\u2019s high-caliber staff,\u201d says economist and aerospace expert Marcos Jos\u00e9 Barbieri Ferreira, a professor at the School of Applied Science at the University of Campinas (FCA-UNICAMP).<\/p>\n
The success of the collaboration, which also involved technology transfer to the S\u00e3o Paulo\u2013based firm, led Saab to acquire a 15% interest in Akaer in 2012, which it increased to 25% four years later. This year, its stake further grew to 28% through a stock swap, when Akaer acquired 10% of SAM. \u201cWe established a partnership to broaden our aerospace footprint and supply aerostructures on a global scale,\u201d says Akaer Chief Operating Officer Fernando Coelho Ferraz, a materials engineer. \u201cThe capital injection has been used to expand the group and to develop a new headquarters facility at the Technology Park in S\u00e3o Jos\u00e9 dos Campos and in aerospace acquisitions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Akaer <\/span><\/a> The Swedish Gripen, purchased by the Brazilian Air ForceAkaer <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Among Akaer\u2019s acquisitions are Equatorial Sistemas, a firm that develops and integrates aerospace and satellite payload systems; Opto Eletr\u00f4nica\u2019s Aeropace & Defense division, which was renamed Opto Space & Defense and that designs and builds optoelectronics technologies such as cameras for space applications; and Troya, which manufactures tooling used in aircraft assembly. These acquisitions now form Akaer Group alongside Akros, a manufacturing arm focused on high-tech products, and Akaer Engenharia, the group\u2019s original business, which provides aerospace engineering and design services.<\/p>\n Underpinning Akaer\u2019s internationalization ambitions are significant investments in research and development (R&D). The company allocates R$5 million per year\u2014or approximately 10% of its revenue\u2014to programs in the areas of advanced manufacturing, flexible tooling, and technology transfer in advanced optoelectronics, among other areas. \u201cWe have more than 10 active RD&I [research, development & innovation] projects in collaboration with partners such as universities, research centers, and local and global firms,\u201d says Akaer RD&I Director Joselito Rodrigues Henriques, a mechanical engineer.<\/p>\n Akaer <\/span><\/a> A schematic drawing showing the parts, components, and assemblies designed or developed by AkaerAkaer <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Approximately 10% of the company\u2019s 350 employees are dedicated to R&D. \u201cApproximately 65% of our employees have undergraduate degrees, and 20% have a master\u2019s degree or PhD. Most are engineers in different fields, aerospace designers and draftsmen, as well as physicists, chemists, computer scientists, and mathematicians,\u201d says Henriques.<\/p>\n The firm\u2019s most high-profile R&D investment is in Industry 4.0. With R$40.5 million in funding and 72 researchers (from Akaer and partners), the program works across multiple fronts, one of which is the development of flexible tooling for the aerospace industry. This category includes essential supporting structures used in aircraft assembly lines, such as mobile platforms, robots, and stairs.<\/p>\n L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves<\/span><\/a> Assembling a chip onto a board that is used in aerospace camerasL\u00e9o Ramos Chaves<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe conventional tooling used to build a wing or fuselage is developed on demand. The tooling used to make one wing cannot be used to build the other. This carries a high cost that accounts for approximately 30% of the total product cost,\u201d explains Henriques. These structures are typically anchored to the floor and subsequently discarded when the production of a given part has been completed. \u201cThe advantage of flexible tooling is that it can be used in building multiple aerostructures. Neither Boeing, Airbus nor Embraer use flexible tooling,\u201d says Henriques.<\/p>\n Another important field of research is the metal additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, of aerospace parts. In the conventional manufacturing process, aircraft assemblies such as wings, landing gear, fuselages or tails are machined from steel or aluminum blocks or sheets. In metal additive manufacturing, these assemblies are built using 3D printers. In this computer-aided process, materials such as powders or wire are deposited layer by layer.<\/p>\n L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves<\/span><\/a> A technician inspects an etching mask used in the fabrication of aircraft fuselage panelsL\u00e9o Ramos Chaves<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Research by GE has shown that 3D printing can reduce a small turboprop engine from 855 to only 12 parts and make it 5% lighter. \u201c3D printing provides greater geometric flexibility, as well as greater material and cost savings. 3D printing is a game-changing technology that is still in development,\u201d says Fernando Ferraz.<\/p>\n In the last three years, Akaer posted average revenues of just over R$50 million. While its largest customer is Saab, the company has also been a supplier to Embraer since 1993 and has been involved in virtually all major programs of the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, including its E2 range of new-generation regional jets (see<\/em> Pesquisa FAPESP issue no. 265<\/em><\/a>) and the KC-390 military transport aircraft, which is the largest ever built in Brazil (see<\/em> Pesquisa FAPESP issue no. 225<\/em><\/a>). Akaer developed the central fuselage and wing spar for the E2 program as well as the front fuselage, vertical empennage, tail cone, and spoilers for the KC-390 program. Other customers include Boeing, Airbus, and helicopter manufacturer Helibras.<\/p>\n\n <\/picture>