KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s aerospace sector should focus more on design-and-build capability rather than the current built-to-print (fabrication) competency in high-technology manufacturing.
Strand Aerospace Malaysia Sdn Bhd aerospace technology division managing director Hafeiz Hassan said the country’s needs to provide steady talent pool of engineering capability which is high in demand from foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEM).
“We are currently addressing the shortage of talent pool from various higher education institutions and government agencies together with Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association (MAIA),” he told the New Straits Times in an interview recently.
As an engineering design company, he said Strand Aerospace had been supporting and developing local engineering capability as OEMs prefer talents with the ability to do design and build for aircraft components.
Hafeiz said local aerospace supply chain providers need to be highly competitive and equip themselves with advanced technical expertise as airlines require aircraft that operate longer working hours (flight cycle) for take-off and landing.
“Airlines are demanding OEMs to build aircraft that can withstand more flights per day to optimise the use of the aircraft, particularly the low-cost carrier, as they adding more frequencies on a daily basis.
“Usually, for a short-haul flight, the same aircraft will be used on the same destinations several times per day,” he said.
Hafeiz said higher utilisation rate of aircraft has prompted OEMs to upgrade the structures and systems of the aircraft to safely operate multiple take-off and landings.
“We have been involved in upgrading programmes to double the flight cycles of narrow-body aircraft to ensure that they can operate more than 20 years safely and economically” Hafeiz said.
Curge Advance Sdn Bhd director Craymon Goh said the country’s education system in aerospace and high-value manufacturing should be upgraded to meet the global industry’s requirement for aircraft components manufacturing.
“We have insufficient talent pools in aerospace or high-value manufacturing. We should bridge the gap between the higher learning and training institutions, and the industry to understand the latter’s requirement of wanting graduates and technicians that are highly-skilled in design-and-build capability,” he said.
Curge Advance is primarily involved in machining and sub-assembly for aircraft components, mainly the nacelle details parts and wings structure. Its current clients include Senior-UPECA Aerotech and Spirit AeroSystems.