Quest Global is a global engineering firm that provides comprehensive engineering solutions across the entire product lifecycle, encompassing design, manufacturing, and in-service support for aircraft, aero-engine, and aero-systems.
Can you talk us through the path that led to your joining Quest Global in 2013?
My degree is in materials engineering, and I was always interested in high-technology industries, composites, and advanced materials. So, aerospace was a logical next step for me, given its cutting-edge nature in both innovation and manufacturing. I held several roles (initially technical, operational, and latterly, business development and sales leadership) working with advanced manufacturing and services companies involved in the aerospace industry.
I joined Quest Global in 2013. I recognized that their mission of advancing society through solving the world's hardest engineering problems deeply resonated with my DNA. I had worked in the US, Europe, and the Far East, so Quest Global's worldwide footprint perfectly fit me.
What portion of Quest Global’s portfolio does the aerospace industry consist of, and is that changing?
Aerospace is one of the most established verticals, making up a substantial portion of our business - around 25-30% As a company, we've systematically expanded into other verticals while continuing to grow aerospace and defense. COVID had a significant impact on the aerospace industry, but we've fully recovered and even surpassed our pre-COVID business levels, seeing a rapid recovery in demand over the last 18 months.
The rising number of middle classes is causing increased passenger demand driving this growth. Companies in India have announced huge aircraft purchases, indicating a robust market there now too. There's also a shift towards newer, more energy-efficient aircraft and engines, replacing older fleets. The term "revenge travel" has emerged, reflecting the pent-up demand for travel post-COVID.
Can you tell us more about the services Quest Global provides for its aerospace commercial customers?
Quest Global provides a wide range of engineering services for aerospace OEMs, encompassing product design, manufacturing, and in-service support for aircraft, aero engines, and aero systems. Historically, our involvement has included new product development and the design of aircraft and engines. As these designs move into manufacturing, we assist with factory design, manufacturing processes, and parts production. Our expertise extends to the design and testing of mechanical and electrical products, as well as safety-critical software and systems.
Given that 50-75% of aerospace manufacturing is outsourced to Tier 1 suppliers, Quest Global supports both OEMs and suppliers by ensuring on-time delivery and adherence to quality standards. We offer supply chain services and manufacturing support, including the design and validation of manufacturing processes, fixtures, and tooling, programming CNC and CMM machines, and certifying process capabilities. Our collaborations include working with major aircraft engine manufacturers, as well as aerostructure and aero system companies.
What problems are your aerospace customers voicing to you in 2024?
The COVID shutdown disrupted manufacturing, and while the initial challenge was ramping up volume, the focus now is on improving material availability and unit cost through a focus on producibility and quality. Establishing new MRO facilities, capabilities and procedures for newer products was delayed through the pandemic. With the surge in flying and healthy order books, the demand for MRO support in both existing and new regions is growing.
How are you leveraging technological advancements to enable more sustainable manufacturing?
Our customers are also focused on developing the next generation of technologies that will advance aviation and support sustainability. These include rethinking existing aircraft and aero engine designs, alternative fuels (such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Hydrogen), electric propulsion and urban mobility. While we are not a manufacturer of components, we help customers improve their manufacturing processes and thus be more sustainable. By helping improve the ‘producibility’ of components, we are reducing the variation in manufacturing processes, which in turn lowers the number of parts produced that are either scrapped or that require rework, and therefore the volume of materials and energy required.
We are also supporting design for additive manufacturing which takes advantage of ‘printing parts’ therefore minimizing material and energy usage and making manufacturing processes greener. By implementing model-based methodologies (MBSE, MBD, MBE), digital thread and manufacturing, we can shrink the time between design and manufacturing, simulate factory operations, as well as enable seamless and fast changes to manufacturing processes when designs change.
You’ve experienced significant growth in recent years. What's next for the next 2-5 years for Quest Global’s aerospace division?
We will support new and existing customers in developing next-generation products, improving manufacturing efficiency, and enabling MRO growth in aerospace. Digital technologies will play a crucial role. We have deep product knowledge and digital capabilities and so are well suited to integrate these to reduce the time to market for new products while improving the efficiency of manufacturing and maintenance. The digital thread, linking product design, manufacturing simulation, and real-world performance, will be a key growth area.
