"Wee-ing~ Dreu-reu-reu."
On Dec. 12, at the P&L production plant located in the Sacheon General Industrial Complex in Gyeongnam, a robot arm over 2 meters tall was busy assembling the wings of the supersonic advanced trainer T-50 to be supplied to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The robot arm was drilling holes and bolting dozens of aluminum alloy plates together to assemble the T-50 wings, much like assembling Lego blocks.
Shin Gwan-woo, the head of P&L, said, "We maximized productivity by introducing robots with power and precision that surpass human capabilities to the manufacturing site."
P&L is currently manufacturing not only the KAI T-50 wings but also the wings of the Airbus A320, which leads the global passenger aircraft market, and the Boeing B737 horizontal tail. They expanded their sales channels to overseas companies starting with the supply of parts to KAI, as a result of technological cooperation with KAI. P&L recorded revenue of 55 billion won last year.
◇"High quality and fast delivery competitiveness"
P&L's core competitiveness lies in its high quality and fast delivery capabilities. This stems from the 'moving cell' production method developed in-house alongside the introduction of robot arms. Aircraft manufacturing is challenging to automate, represented by conveyor belts, so workers assemble products in a single space (cell).
In the past, P&L assigned each worker to one specific process after mastering a single skill, but now workers are trained to acquire various process skills needed for wing manufacturing, enabling them to control the entire process. As a result, both quality and production speed have increased. Shin stated, "By adopting the moving cell, we not only supply the quantities requested by partners like KAI in a timely manner but also reduced expenses by 20%."
In fact, P&L was previously a plant piping manufacturer. Established in 2007 by Shin, the company manufactured all piping for marine and land plants. Subsequently, in 2014, they ventured into the aerospace and defense industries for sustained growth, leveraging their skills in cutting, welding, and assembly.
After about two years of stabilization, P&L began supplying products to KAI and expanded its business overseas. Revenue in the aviation sector, which had been zero, increased each year, reaching 20 billion won last year. This represents 36% of the company's total revenue. P&L is aiming for 70 billion won in revenue this year based on growth in the aviation sector.
There are 28 aerospace and defense corporations like P&L located in the Sacheon Industrial Complex. Most of them are small and medium-sized enterprises, making up 40% of the entire complex. They supply parts to KAI, a leading domestic aerospace and defense corporation based in the complex, and have grown through technological cooperation in the process.
Similarly, HanAeroDynamics, which was met in the complex, has developed and supplied the tools necessary for manufacturing KAI's T-50, the supersonic fighter KF-21, and the Surion (KUH) utility helicopter. Aerospace tools are core devices used to secure and bolt key structures like the fuselage and wings during assembly. This company has not only developed and manufactured the tools directly but has also built competitive advantages by quickly producing structures using its own tools.
Since last year, they have been manufacturing and exporting the fuselage of Bell's M412 helicopter. In fact, Bell had previously outsourced the production of the M412 helicopter's tail to another overseas corporation. However, it took too long for development and production, and HanAeroDynamics seized the opportunity.
The company's CEO, Son Chang-hwan, said, "We developed and delivered tail wings about six times faster than existing trading corporations, surprising Bell into signing a contract," adding, "We are now expanding to supply Bell with the fuselage of the M412 helicopter."
As a result, HanAeroDynamics recorded revenue of 32 billion won last year, a 128% increase compared to 2023. The company is not stopping there and is expanding its business into unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite sectors. They are also preparing for an IPO (initial public offering) next year.
◇KOSME funding support is also significant… AI technology needs to be implemented
Another factor behind the growth of small and medium-sized aerospace and defense corporations in the Sacheon Industrial Complex is the financial support from the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME).
P&L, HanAeroDynamics, and other small and medium-sized businesses in the Sacheon Complex are receiving funding from KOSME to support equipment investment and workforce expansion in line with their business growth.
A KOSME official noted, "We are providing tailored financial support to promising aerospace and defense small and medium-sized enterprises to take their next leap forward."
Experts say that small aerospace and defense corporations in the Sacheon Complex urgently need to adopt AI technology to sustain growth.
Kang Eun-ho, head of the Defense Research Institute at Jeonbuk National University, stated, "The collaborative production system between small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations has become a key competitiveness of the K aerospace and defense ecosystem, with the Sacheon Complex being one of those locations."
Kang continued, "In the next 3 to 5 years, this industrial ecosystem is expected to exert its influence in the global market, but for the ecosystem to continue to develop further, companies must actively respond to technological changes like AI and the government must support them vigorously."