Together with the project partner Vanema BOXMARK received the Crystal Cabin Award 2017 in the category „Material & components“ in the context of the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. With this prize, which is among the most sought-after innovation prizes in the aircraft industry, a seating foam development was awarded, which is more than 30 percent lighter than conventional upholstery. Also Airbus and Stelia Aerospace, which belongs to the Airbus Group, provided valuable assistance and their sales channels will be used to offer the new complete seat solution on the market.
The aircraft industry is permanently searching for solutions, which increase the comfort in aircrafts and at the same time reduce weight. The awarded upholstery offers the manufacturers another opportunity to come one step closer to this goal. They are not only more than a third lighter, but also the foam geometry spreads the body weight ideally on the entire seating area. Due to this and also because of the better air circulation the seating comfort is significantly increased, what has an extremely positive effect on the well-being of the air passengers in particular in long-haul flights.
The higher resilience of the innovative upholstery prolongs the lifetime and thus also the required change intervals. This offers – besides the lower fuel costs due to the reduced weight – also an additional economic advantage and is an important contribution to a sustainable use of resources.
The foam was until now already successfully used in the living and leisure segment. The task of BOXMARK in the EU-funded project was the adjustment of the upholstery to the special requirements and demands of the aircraft industry as well as in leather covering. The experts of the company on this matter were of decisive significance.
Picture 1: The winning project team (f.l. Jacques Bourdeux, Stelia Aerospace; Sandi Češko, Vanema; presenter, Crystal Cabin Award; Marjan Trobiš, Boxmark; Ralf Schliwa, Airbus), Picture credit: Hamburg Aviation
Picture 2: Group photo of all category winners, Picture credit: Hamburg Aviation
Picture 3: Awarded seating foam development, Picture credit: Vanema
