Casting innovation for aircraft interiors
Published - 18th Jun 2024
Discover how UK aircraft interiors casting company Investacast is innovating to reduce costs and environmental impact in aircraft seating.
Reducing operating costs, increasing passenger comfort, and reducing environmental impact are driving the future of aircraft seating design. As an experienced UK aircraft interiors casting company, we believe Investacast has a continuing responsibility to work with designers and engineers to find the best engineering solutions to achieve these goals.
Weight reduction for lower fuel consumption
Lightweighting can have a considerable impact on the environmental and financial costs of running airlines. Innovations in materials and manufacturing processes mean that Investacast is able to achieve thin-walled, lightweight cast components without compromising on strength. Learn more about our investment casting process.
Precision investment casting can achieve high strength 17-4PH grade stainless steel thin-walled castings down to 1.5mm locally, with a mechanical strength of > 1100 MPa and excellent ductility. This allows strong parts such as internal structural components to be manufactured with a high strength to weight ratio. For aircraft seating components this can deliver small but helpful space savings within the seating area as well as greater fuel economy, and environmental benefits.
Optimising the production method to minimise cost
Cabin fittings such as aircraft seats provide an ideal opportunity for development and innovation. Along with its sister companies Haworth Castings and Metaltech Precision, Investacast, a prominent UK aircraft interiors casting company has seen a growing focus from customers across the aerospace industry on optimising production methods. Discover more about our UK manufacturing capabilities.
“Expromet Group companies are increasingly helping customers explore more cost-effective solutions that help reduce airlines’ operating costs and environmental impact, with no compromise to quality,” confirms Robert Guest, CEO of Expromet Technologies Group.
Experts at AIX say that the aircraft cabin interiors seating market is projected to grow from USD 6.2 billion in 2020 to USD 8.1 billion by 2025. Within this sector, the retrofit segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR, whilst the economy class segment is expected to dominate the market with the need for cost-efficient solutions.
Design for manufacture
As materials and production methods evolve, it has become more important than ever for designers to work closely with their manufacturing partners.
“As an expert UK aircraft interiors casting company, Investacast customers are increasingly relying on our in-house technical expertise, extensive UK manufacturing capabilities and global supply chain to find innovative solutions to their complex engineering challenges,” says Guest. “We help design products that are optimal for their end use, whilst minimising production costs.”
Investacast can help customers by:
- Identifying the optimal production methods for the specific application
- Refining the shape and geometry of products to improve manufacturability and minimise defects
- Eliminating waste or inefficiencies in production
- Exploring the potential to combine multiple components into a single part
- Finding opportunities for lightweighting where appropriate
- Considering options that reduce lead time.
Manufacturing existing products more efficiently
Investacast also helps customers convert legacy parts to more economical manufacturing processes – reducing costs and increasing profit by taking a fresh look at the most appropriate method of production. Explore our prototyping services to see how we can assist in your product development.
A typical example is parts designed as machined from solid, but where a casting is sufficient to meet the application requirements. Investacast’s experience as a leading UK aircraft interiors casting company shows that changes in manufacturing capability make this an important area for customers looking for cost efficiencies.
We consistently find that we can significantly reduce the cost of production in such cases, with no loss of performance.
To find out whether Investacast, the leading UK aircraft interiors casting company can help reduce your operating costs and environmental impact, please get in touch with a member of the team today.
