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If you want to innovate, think certification
The aircraft interiors industry is littered with horror stories of beautiful visual design concepts that were enthusiastically approved at the Initial Technical Coordination Meeting (ITCM), but never found their way onto a flying aircraft in the form envisaged by the design team. There can be many reasons for this, but one of the most common issues is certification
01. Height adjusting sleeping hood with built in head support, noise cancelling and audio system
02. Flexible cradle recline system
03. Hybrid metal composite seat support structure
04. Mesh luggage restraint and personal effects storage
05. Extending mesh fabric covered leg rest
The consideration of certification, airworthiness and regulatory requirements is often thought of as a necessary evil that constrains creativity, and should therefore only be addressed towards the tail end of the development process. Unfortunately, this short sighted approach can prove fatal to many design concepts, and deeply damaging to still more. All too often the core design principle on which a new concept is based proves to be impossible to certify. At the very least this can mean compromises have to be introduced late in the development process, which detract from the design solution that was originally approved. In the worst cases, the certification obstacles may be insurmountable, meaning that the design has to be abandoned. The result can be deeply frustrating for everyone involved, with the designer and certification agencies usually being blamed in equal measure for the failure to bring true design led innovation into the industry. But does it really have to be like this?
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DCA Design International Ltd is convinced that there is a better way of tackling aircraft interior design, and has set about proving this on a number of recent projects. DCA consider the
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certification implications of its design concepts as early as possible, and ensure that it has a feasible route to
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achieving certification mapped out before it progresses with the development of any idea. It has achieved this by working closely together with certification experts from the very earliest stages of its
projects. As a result, it is able to present concepts at the ITCM where all relevant aspects of the design have been
thoroughly considered, including certification. This enables DCA to be far more confident that the concept can be developed into a flight-worthy, certifiable solution that will remain true to the original design intent, even in its final in- aircraft embodiment. DCA has already proven this new paradigm for developing
aircraft design solutions on significant projects for major companies in the industry. For example, it recently developed an innovative new seating concept for an international supplier of aircraft interior solutions. Part of this concept requires the deployment of a retractable module. By working closely with SWS Certification Services Ltd, DCA were able to identify the specific load cases that would apply to this extension once deployed and plan for them from the outset. As a result, the extension structure has been engineered appropriately and additional support has been integrated into the design. Adding such strengthening features after the event would have been extremely awkward and would almost certainly have compromised the visual and ergonomic aspects. As a demonstration of design and certification experts working together creatively, this is a perfect example. Far from restricting innovation, DCA’s combined approach has resulted in a unique proposal which, as well as being practical and implementable, also incorporates five novel design solutions for which patent protection is being sought. For the illustrated premium economy seat concept, DCA again worked closely with SWS, both during the initial creative thinking workshops, and subsequently during concept filtering and development. A number of significant weight saving innovations resulted, including the introduction of lightweight mesh below the seat for luggage retention, and the replacement of the traditional IFE equipment with portable tablets.
DCA is convinced that its integrated approach is the right one. The result may be that it takes longer to reach the ITCM milestone, because of the additional effort required to consider certification issues in depth alongside the design activities. However, it knows from experience that this upfront effort more than pays for itself through reductions in the post-ITCM work programme, and a reduced cost and timeframe for the overall project.
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