Sabic introduces new design services for aircraft interiors

HAMBURG, GERMANY: As airlines seek the opportunity to reduce weight, differentiate their brands, minimise costs and enhance their customers’ flying experiences, they look for versatile materials, creative design options and global support from suppliers who understand these desired outcomes.

Sabic said that it will showcase a number of new and inspiring offerings that can help aircraft customers meet regulatory requirements and OEM standards, enhance safety and sustainability, and optimise the passenger experience. These offerings include a range of high-performance engineering thermoplastics in a number of forms – resin, sheet, film and foam – that are compatible with a range of processing techniques such as injection moulding, thermoforming, and additive and composite manufacturing.

“SABIC has a long history of innovating with the aircraft interiors industry, and we are pleased to share our solution story with customers and potential business partners at the premier global event for the aircraft industry,” said Lori Louthan, director, mass transportation.

New ULTEM XP050 Foam

Sabic is introducing the fourth grade of ULTEM foam, called ULTEM XP050, as a complement to its ULTEM foam series. This latest addition is lighter than ever, at a weight of just 50 kg/m3 (3.1 lb/ft3). The new grade can be considered as a core for sandwich construction, as it is compatible with thermosets and metal laminates. Potential uses include ceiling panels, sidewalls, storage bins and other applications where lightweight, compliant structures are needed. The ULTEM XP050 foam meets OSU <55/55 and is available in thicknesses from 3 mm to 30 mm. 

Digital design lab concept

Digital Design Lab, a prototype of a digital capability that can help enable designers to explore four different design themes, with functionality to apply various trends in colour, materials, textures and finishes utilising swatches of Sabic aircraft-compliant materials in a virtual design environment.

“We are looking forward to sharing our design tool concept with attendees at the show – particularly aircraft interior designers – in order to get their feedback as we move forward in developing tools that will help designers achieve their objectives,” Lori said.

Included innovative customer solutions:

• ULTEM 9085 resin: This resin is compatible with 3D printing and is FAR 25.853 and OEM toxicity compliant, offering low moisture absorption and design flexibility. Use of 3D printing enabled the rapid prototyping of the Studio Gavari design, resulting in a seat with less than 15 components.

• JET PANEL sheet: based on Sabic’s 2015 Crystal Cabin Award-winning CLEAR LEXAN XHR 2000 sheet series, a design-enabling transparent material which allows customization via printing, texture, colour or digital graphics and offers 80 percent light transmission to enhance the passenger experience.

• An ULTEM foam sidewall prototype, fabricated with lightweight, regulatory-compliant, formable ULTEM XP060 density foam, based on SABIC’s renowned high-heat formulation. ULTEM foam is highly processed able: the foam can be machined, vacuum formed and match metal formed. Additionally, because of its amorphous nature, it can tolerate most of the adhesives used in the market today. ULTEM foam is also compatible with lamination and composite skins, including thermosets and thermoplastics, as well as metal. It may be considered for applications where honeycomb structures are currently used, especially in lightweight core applications.

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