SEK ISUI S PI
real estate and can have a dramatic
influence on a passenger’s inflight
experience. The B737 seatback coves are
designed to be interchangeable and allow
for quick, easy customisation. Whether
the coves display airline branding, class
designations, or seasonal marketing,
the possibilities are boundless.
“The B737 seatback cove offers an
exceptional opportunity for airlines to
customise their economy cabins and
strengthen their brand expression within
the cabin. With Sekisui SPI’s Infused
Imaging technology, airline managers
now have an easy and creative means
of enhancing their customer experience
while pursuing a distinctive look that
complements the rest of the aircraft. This
technology puts colour and designs into
the thermoplastic sheet, not on it, and
makes bespoke design possible. Much
like a tattoo, images are infused into
thermoplastic sheet, not glued to the
surface,” said Karyn McAlphin, design
strategist at Sekisui SPI.
Lift’s director of design, Tom Eaton,
brought his design concepts to McAlphin
after learning about Sekisui SPI’s rapid
prototyping and Infused Imaging
technology. Eaton was interested in
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
ANNUAL SHOWCASE 2020
Kydex offers
virtually limitless
colour possibilities,
as well as pearlescent
and metallic
effects
charting new territory through quickly
designing an underutilised part for aviation
interiors. Becky Gallup, Sekisui SPI’s senior
graphic artist for Infused Imaging, worked
with Eaton and McAlphin after their initial
conversations to develop the concepts into
complete designs ready for takeoff.
“Our desire was to bring in an element
that would allow us to disrupt the sea of
homogenised plastic we’re traditionally
limited to. Materials, colour, texture and
patterns play such a pivotal role in how
we perceive our space that we wanted
to give ourselves a new canvas that would
enable airlines to deliver a richer and
more appealing seating environment,”
states Eaton.
Gallup explains further, “Eaton wanted
to bring the outdoors inside, using gradient
backgrounds to create the impression of
a horizon and an expansion of space.
Gradients can be challenging to achieve
in many decorative processes, but Infused
Imaging technology lends itself to it.
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“ AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY
FOR AIRLINES TO CUSTOMISE
THEIR ECONOMY CABINS”
Because the design is created on an
individual basis, the gradient flows
along the lines of the cove, which is
not something that can be done easily
in any other process.”
The three clever minds selected designs
that worked well together and could be
interchangeable to improve the passenger
experience in economy class. Eaton,
McAlphin and Gallup developed fading
gradients from orange to purple to create
the feel of a sunset, and transitions from
blue to white tones to evoke the colours
of the sky. Another design features a
white gradient accented with birds in
flight, reminding passengers they are
not the only ones with wings in the sky.
“Once the designs were finalised,
the process of creating the coves was
rather quick. Also, because the pop-out
coves provide an instant design change,
you can quickly transform the look of
aviation economy seating on a budget,”
says Gallup.
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