INT ER IOR S I NNOVAT ION cabin materials
Recycled carbon fibre
The recycling of materials is becoming
increasingly important. For example, in
the production of carbon fi bre, around
3,000 tons of waste is generated
annually in Europe alone. Some of this
waste comes from rovings, cut waste
and production waste from CFRP
production, and these fi bres can be
processed into non-wovens and then
processed into components.
3D Icom, a manufacturer
of composites and part
of the LuFo aviation
research programme, is
researching the behaviour
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
180 MARCH 2020
and possible uses of these non-wovens
in collaboration with the FIBRE institute
in Bremen and the University of
Augsburg. The partners report that
initial results show possible applications
in the area of surface heating. Heated
surfaces in aviation can be used in
applications such as heated base plates
or heating tools. These promising
applications, together with
the sustainability of these
non-woven materials,
point to an interesting
future for carbon
fi bre waste.
cabin
materials
LIGHTWEIGHT
FLOORING LAUNCH
A sense of
living space
Austrian leather and upholstery specialist, Boxmark,
regularly cooperates with aircraft interior designers on
projects, which creates insights that enable the company
to anticipate upcoming seat design trends. One of the
trends currently identifi ed is a desire to enjoy the
comfort and conveniences of home while fl ying, as
refl ected in its latest concept.
“Designers are looking for new ways to bring the
sense of a living space into the aircraft,” says Rupert
Gollner, head of the air division at Boxmark. “With the
business class bench, we are adding design elements
including quilting and hand-crafted embroidery, to
show how to meet the trend towards greater comfort
and individualisation”.
As a long-term partner to the automotive
industry, Boxmark has also noticed that
certain aspects of automotive seat design
have transferred into aircraft interiors.
“For instance, the trend for two-tone
seat designs along with accent
stitching has been infl uenced by the
automotive sector,” states Gollner.
Boxmark has also developed a seat
with an integrated heating and cooling
system – another feature derived from
the automotive sector.
Boxmark has
been involved
in the leather
industry since
1780
A new option in non-textile floor coverings (NTF),
the Batiflex AVR 185, has been developed by Gerflor.
The company has created a new collection of patterns
and colours, which will add to the company’s already
extended Batiflex range. This new lightweight NTF
has a construction specially engineered to comply
with the most stringent durability, performance and
safety requirements. The flooring range includes
R-Wood, Tempo and Stone textures, which are
designed to offer airlines a new option when
designing unique and appealing interiors.
ABOVE: THE QUILTED LEATHER
DESIGN DEVELOPED BY BOXMARK
RIGHT: BOXMARK’S TEAM HAS
ALSO CREATED A UNIQUE HANDEMBROIDERED
DESIGN
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com