Gripen E aerostructure factory in Brazil advances in production
Saab's aerostructure plant in Brazil reached a new milestone when it started assembling the Gripen E wing box. Currently, the plant has five segments in production, with the first forward fuselage in the last stage of assembly and units of tail cone and air brakes in the process of delivery. The plant has also started the initial assembly to manufacture the rear fuselage of the single-seat fighter.
The production of the wing box is carried out in six phases, and it started at Saab, in Linköping, Sweden. Subsequently, the aerostructure was sent to the factory in São Bernardo do Campo (SP) for the assembling of the main structural parts of the wing in three stages and to perform pressure tests. After these processes, the component will be sent to Sweden to finish the assembly.
“The manufacturing technology related to the wing of a supersonic aircraft like the Gripen represents a substantial leap in capacity for the Brazilian industry. The wing is arguably one of the most important and critical parts of an aircraft, and the stringent operational requirements for a fighter like the Gripen have led to an extremely optimized wing design. Saab is the pioneer in this robust, high-precision assembly process in Brazil,” said Ola Rosén, Operations Director of Saab's aerostructure plant in Brazil.
As part of the technology transfer process, Brazilian assemblers underwent on-the-job training in Sweden, where they had the opportunity to carry out the same tasks they now perform in Brazil. Saab also selected a team of experienced Swedish operators who are now at the factory in São Bernardo do Campo dedicated to supporting the production of aerostructures, for a period that can vary from 14 to 36 months, in order to monitor production, guarantee process quality and share knowledge with Brazilian operators.