The future of aerospace manufacturing is digital
At the Paris Air Show recently, a host of aircraft deals were announced which are set to contribute a massive £35 billion to the global economy, and £3.3 billion to the UK alone.
This is positive news for the aerospace industry, which has already undergone significant growth, with analysts forecasting further global growth of 5.1% over the next decade.
The sector has had to make cutbacks in recent years however, which have raised concerns over whether aerospace manufacturing businesses are ready and able to make the most of this upturn in demand.
Skills shortage
By way of example, recent studies have shown that the aerospace sector is currently experiencing a shortage of skilled manpower.
There is concern that the average age of workers in the sector has dramatically increased whilst, at the same time, the education system is not producing the next generation of skilled workers. To compound this, there is less excitement or desire today to work in aerospace engineering – which was once perceived as a high-profile, showcase industry.
According to a recent report , three in five employers (59%) in the aerospace industry are concerned that a scarcity of skilled engineers could pose a threat to their business in the future.
The report also revealed that a third of engineering vacancies (32%) are considered ‘hard to fill’; around twice the national average. In addition, almost half of engineering businesses (48.3%) suggested that issues around recruitment had caused delays in developing new products, and had increased operating costs.
The tangible effects of this skills shortage are likely to be felt well into the future if the deep-rooted-issues around engineering education aren’t addressed, with Engineering UK’s annual report suggesting that 56,000 engineering technicians will be required every year until 2024, just to keep up with demand.
Digital transformation
The advent of Industry 4.0 has seen significant modernisation across the manufacturing sector as a whole, as businesses introduce a range of digital manufacturing processes. While the move towards digitisation may not be the overarching solution to the manpower challenges faced by the industry, the demand for more software and hardware engineers to operate these processes may certainly help to attract more talent into the industry.
3D printing, for example, is a particularly exciting technology which, even three decades into its existence, still continues to evolve. Product developers across a range of industries are utilising 3D printing to rapidly produce high-quality prototypes suitable for presentations and assembly tests.
In the automotive industry, for example, entire cars can be produced using the technique.
