Who is the client?
Global aerospace leader, Dassault Aviation known for its cutting-edge military and business jet aircraft, including Rafale fighter jet and Falcon business jets.
What was the problem?
The French and Indian governments signed a contract for the delivery of 36 Rafale combat aircraft. As part of the agreement, 50% of the contract value had to be delivered in India through offsets and to be executed by Dassault Aviation.
One of the key requirements was to establish a production facility in India (Nagpur) to manufacture assemblies and detailed parts for Rafale and Falcon 2000 aircraft. This new production line is needed to showcase state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, integrating cutting-edge technologies while meeting the highest international aerospace standards for efficiency and competitiveness.
What was the Expleo solution?
Creating a robust local supply chain. To achieve this, Dassault Aviation had to develop a reliable network of Indian suppliers capable of manufacturing assembly line jigs and tools. These tools, such as fuselage assembly stations, canopy and control surfaces assembly jigs, platforms, transport trolleys, and workstations were custom-built to specifications. However, existing designs were in legacy 3D drawing software (Dassault Systems CATIA V4), mylar drawings or physical parts. To modernise the process, all jigs and tools were needed to be redesigned using the latest 3D software (CATIA V5).
Expleo played a key role in:
- Redesigning and optimising the assembly jigs & tools to comply with local regulations and enhance reusability.
- Managing the entire process from design to manufacturing, ensuring high precision and compliance with Dassault Aviation’s standards.
- Bridging collaboration between France and India, leveraging its global footprint and deep expertise in aerospace tooling.
What were the results?
With Expleo’s expertise in jigs & tools design and manufacturing management, the project was successfully delivered despite its complexity. The strong coordination between Expleo India and France teams enabled efficient execution, with:
- 7-8 mechanical engineers (design and stress specialists) based in France.
- 2 technical contract managers overseeing execution in India.
- 6 to8 mechanical engineers for providing engineering support (3D modelling and drawing set creation)
The result:
- Over 200 jigs & tools were manufactured in India and delivered to Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) facilities. In all till date Expleo had re- engineered and manufactured more than 2500 tools, trolleys, dolleys, platforms, scaffolds and installed at DRAL, Nagpur.
- Successful production of the first Falcon 2000 Fuselage front section in India (2019).
- Expansion of DRAL’s capabilities, paving the way for full-scale Falcon 2000 production in India.
Through this collaboration, Dassault Aviation now operates a world-class manufacturing facility in India, strengthening local aerospace capabilities while supporting the “Make in India” vision.
First pictures from inside the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL) JV facility in Nagpur. That’s the first Falcon 2000 cockpit section that will be formally delivered to @Dassault_OnAir tomorrow (Rafale parts could be built here with more orders). Detailed report coming up. pic.twitter.com/gyPtpTElXt
— Livefist (@livefist) February 7, 2019
