Plush and Digital Finishes on Show at Aircraft Interiors Asia Expo
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APEX Insight: Digital finishings on textiles, seat coverings and thermoplastics are growing in popularity, and their presence on the Aircraft Interiors Asia tradeshow floor last month could not be missed.
The future is digital – and plush. On the Aircraft Interiors Asia tradeshow floor, digital integration was seen in textiles, seat coverings and thermoplastics. Muirhead, a leather supplier, has introduced digital printing on cowhide. “It gives not only informational presence, but branding as well,” says Dominic Duffy, vice-president Sales, Asia. Its most recent customer was KLM, which used the technology to brand its economy and premium economy seats.
Unrestricted by the repetition required of woven textiles, you can use your design freely. €” Roger Chang, FuChi Aviation
Roger Chang, sales specialist at FuChi Aviation Technology, showcased a faux-suede seat covering with an irregular pattern “embossed” through digital carving, a technique he sees becoming more popular in the near future. Unrestricted by the repetition required of woven textiles, you can use your design freely, says Chang.
And in the realm of partitions and sidewalls, Sekisui SPI displayed a thermoplastic sheet with a photo-realistic pattern. “It’s best described like a tattoo,” says David Scott, global creative of the proprietary Infused Imaging technology that won a 2016 Crystal Cabin Award. The technique has been applied to the business-class seat shells of Air China, United Airlines and Oman Air. “It enables airlines to personalize surfaces from seats to galley carts to monuments,” he says.