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Reducing the burden of aircraft seating Lightweight aircraft seating cuts 3629 kg off the weight of a 200-seat aircraft
01. The 3050 FeatherWeight premium economy seat from TIMCO Aerosystems weighs as much as 25 percent less than similar seating. Shrouds, seat dividers, end caps, tray tables and other plastic components are formed by Multifab Inc. of Boltaron proprietary sheet for aircraft interior applications.
Aircraft seating is a challenge to design and manufacture. Seats must meet government and industry safety standards, be lightweight, and provide passengers with comfort, personal space and freedom of movement, as well as accommodate accessories such as tray tables, entertainment systems and controls. They are also expected to operate flawlessly and keep looking new despite constant impact from passengers, luggage and service carts, and repeated cleaning using harsh chemicals.
Airlines periodically upgrade the seating of their fleets, and pay close attention to the evolving state-of-the-art in seat design, especially in terms of weight savings to reduce fuel consumption. One newly introduced seat is as much as 25 percent lighter than other premium economy seats, according to its manufacturer, TIMCO Aerosystems, part of TIMCO Aviation Services of Greensboro, NC. The company's Model 3050 FeatherWeight™
seat is designed to maximise passenger
comfort, provide a rocker-type recline mechanism that extends a foot and leg rest as the back reclines, and accommodate inflight entertainment systems. Offered in 2- and 3-seat configurations, it potentially reduces overall weight of a 200 seat aircraft by more than 8,000lb (3,629kg).
Thermoplastic alloys cut weight, increase durability, improve aesthetics “There are numerous part numbers for these seats,” says Dean Cameron, Sales Manager of Multifab Inc., Spokane, WA, which thermoforms, pressure forms and vacuum forms armrest caps, end caps, tray tables, centre dividers, electrical shrouds, life vest box assemblies and other parts of the seats. Cameron says that Multifab specifies Boltaron sheet for all thermoplastic parts of the seats due to its processability and properties. “It is very friendly to thermoform,” he says. “We form complex parts for this application to extremely tight tolerances. The grades of Boltaron sheet we use retain their cosmetic appearance during forming, and maintain a consistent wall thickness in deep recesses and on outside corners." Multifab specifies two grades of Boltaron sheet: 4330 and 9815E. Both are proprietary thermoplastic alloys that carry an aircraft interior fire rating of FAR 25.853 A1, ii. Boltaron 9815E sheet is additionally rated to FAR 25.853 D as required for parts larger than 1 sq. ft. (305 sq. mm). Because sheet products meeting the more stringent FAR 25.853 D standard typically exhibit lesser impact resistance,
01
Multifab assessed that property across competitive sheet products. Although the Boltaron 9815E sheet is rated at 5.0 ft lbs/in (265 J/m) versus 3.0 ft lbs/in (159 J/m) for a competitive 65/65-compliant sheet, Boltaron’s drop dart tests revealed that the competitive 60 mil sheet failed drop dart tests at 24 in. (61 cm), compared with 70 in. (178 cm) for 60 mil Boltaron 9815E sheet, a greater difference than published specifications indicate.
Forming diverse parts in a wide range of gauges and colours Cameron says that the parts Multifab forms range in thickness from 0.080 to 0.200 in. (2.03 to 5.08 mm). Large parts, such as the shrouds between seats, average 2.5 ft
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