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Composites cut weight of aircraft seats
Applications news
Composites cut weight of aircraft seats IN THE pursuit of weight reduction in aircraft seats a major seat manufacturer has switched the construction of a range of seating elements from aluminium to TEPEX® composite based on carbon fibre and Fortron® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The seating parts, including lumbar and thigh supports, armrest table covers and shields for in-flight video screens, saw weight reductions of 40-50%. Fortron PPS, which is available from Ticona (the engineering polymers business of the Celanese Corp) was selected over other polymers as the composite matrix because it is inherently flame retardant. This, combined with a low smoke index and a high limited oxygen index (LOI), is said to create a composite providing superior mechanical properties to aluminium. The PPS-based TEPEX composite, produced by BondLaminates GmbH, of Brilon, Germany, is available in sheets with a range of thickness from 0.2-5 mm and up to 20 layers. DTC in the Netherlands thermoforms the sheets into the seating components. One example of the weight savings accrued with composites
6
REINFORCEDplastics
is the lumbar support at the base of the rear portion of the seat. This part, measuring approximately 16 cm x 30 cm and weighing around 150 g in the PPS composite, offers savings in excess of 125 g over comparable aluminium parts. Considering the seating configuration of an Airbus A380 is around 555 seats this offers a potential weight reduction of approximately 72 kg per aircraft.
A potential weight reduction of approximately 72 kg per aircraft. Ticona also asserts cost savings from using composite in place of aluminium. It is said to be easier and cheaper to process and requiring fewer production steps than the traditional material, and Bond-Laminates claims that by using TEPEX there is the potential to generate cost savings of up to 25% compared with aluminium. “The FST [fire, smoke and toxicity] properties of Fortron PPS combined with the highstrength fibres we use make TEPEX a superior material for
October 2005
A range of aircraft seating parts, including lumbar and thigh supports, armrest table covers, and shields for in-flight video screens, were switched from aluminium to TEPEX to realise weight savings of 40-50%.
aircraft interiors and other applications where stringent safety requirements apply,” according to Joost van Lindert, managing director of BondLaminates. “Together with all the other advantages of thermoplastic composites – like very short cycle times, weldability, toughness and recyclability – this material will be a strong contender for many parts.”
Bond-Laminates says the use of Fortron is growing in line with the growing application of all composites in aircraft, which it says has risen from 7% to 20% since the 1980s. Ticona; tel: +1-800-833-4882; www.ticona.com. Bond Laminates; www.bondlaminates.de
Composites cut weight of aircraft seats IN THE pursuit of weight reduction in aircraft seats a major seat manufacturer has switched the construction of a range of seating elements from aluminium to TEPEX® composite based on carbon fibre and Fortron® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The seating parts, including lumbar and thigh supports, armrest table covers and shields for in-flight video screens, saw weight reductions of 40-50%. Fortron PPS, which is available from Ticona (the engineering polymers business of the Celanese Corp) was selected over other polymers as the composite matrix because it is inherently flame retardant. This, combined with a low smoke index and a high limited oxygen index (LOI), is said to create a composite providing superior mechanical properties to aluminium. The PPS-based TEPEX composite, produced by BondLaminates GmbH, of Brilon, Germany, is available in sheets with a range of thickness from 0.2-5 mm and up to 20 layers. DTC in the Netherlands thermoforms the sheets into the seating components. One example of the weight savings accrued with composites
6
REINFORCEDplastics
is the lumbar support at the base of the rear portion of the seat. This part, measuring approximately 16 cm x 30 cm and weighing around 150 g in the PPS composite, offers savings in excess of 125 g over comparable aluminium parts. Considering the seating configuration of an Airbus A380 is around 555 seats this offers a potential weight reduction of approximately 72 kg per aircraft.
A potential weight reduction of approximately 72 kg per aircraft. Ticona also asserts cost savings from using composite in place of aluminium. It is said to be easier and cheaper to process and requiring fewer production steps than the traditional material, and Bond-Laminates claims that by using TEPEX there is the potential to generate cost savings of up to 25% compared with aluminium. “The FST [fire, smoke and toxicity] properties of Fortron PPS combined with the highstrength fibres we use make TEPEX a superior material for
October 2005
A range of aircraft seating parts, including lumbar and thigh supports, armrest table covers, and shields for in-flight video screens, were switched from aluminium to TEPEX to realise weight savings of 40-50%.
aircraft interiors and other applications where stringent safety requirements apply,” according to Joost van Lindert, managing director of BondLaminates. “Together with all the other advantages of thermoplastic composites – like very short cycle times, weldability, toughness and recyclability – this material will be a strong contender for many parts.”
Bond-Laminates says the use of Fortron is growing in line with the growing application of all composites in aircraft, which it says has risen from 7% to 20% since the 1980s. Ticona; tel: +1-800-833-4882; www.ticona.com. Bond Laminates; www.bondlaminates.de