Airlines are looking at many ways to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of passenger flights. Making aircraft bodies as light as is safely possible is one solution, but using more plastic materials when creating aircraft interiors can also help conserve energy, says the European Plastics Distributors Association (EPDA).
EPDA believes that aviation grade plastics will play an increasingly important role in the interiors of both new-build aircraft by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), such as Boeing and Airbus, as well as the periodic makeovers undertaken by the end users, the major airlines, to freshen up their brands.
Aircraft seats have traditionally used metals and metal composite materials to meet the strict FAA flammability regulations, such as vertical burn, heat release and smoke density tests, for aircraft interiors. However, plastics companies like Sekisui Polymer Innovations, LLC, which has distributors throughout Europe, has already introduced aviation grade thermoplastic sheet for seats and other aircraft interior components that meets these requirements.
Thanks to moulding and material engineering technologies, lightweight thermoplastic sheet can now be used in seat back shells, reducing the weight of a large passenger aircraft by around 150kg compared to metal composite materials, leading to fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions.
Replacing metal materials with lighter aviation grade plastics that comply with the very strict flammability tests for passenger seating, as well as other aircraft interior components, not only makes economic sense and reduces the environmental impact of each commercial flight, it also provides flexibility for improving the appearance of the cabin, an airliner’s calling card to passengers.
In addition to providing materials that are first and foremost inherently flame retardant to meet the very strict regulatory compliance, there are a multitude of non-regulatory but very important customer needs that plastics have to cover on the inside of the cabin.
Plastic materials are used throughout the entire cabin of commercial aircraft to make seat parts, such as back shells, tray tables and arm rests, the Passenger Service Units, such as the overhead dials to adjust the airflow and lights, as well as for providing an aesthetic, consistent and durable framework for the cabin’s interior walls.
There are also other factors at play for manufacturing aircraft interiors such as standardisation – repeating patterns, work practices and materials – or customisation to more accurately reflect an end user’s identity. Mr Miler says that plastics can work in both of these scenarios.
EPDA was formed in 1973 and is the voice of the European plastics distribution industry, representing companies involved in a cross section of distribution activities encompassing plastic sheet, blocks, rods, profiles, tubes, pipe, valves, fittings and numerous related activities.