Lighter in-flight trolleys
Canadian Plastics
Seems like everyone and everything is trying to loose weight these days -- even airline trolleys.LSG Sky Chefs, the world's largest provider of in-flight services, recently partnered with cabin product designer Norduyn to create a new line of...
Seems like everyone and everything is trying to loose weight these days — even airline trolleys.
LSG Sky Chefs, the world’s largest provider of in-flight services, recently partnered with cabin product designer Norduyn to create a new line of ultra-light in-flight trolleys that can help reduce aircraft fuel consumption and emissions.
The last piece of the puzzle was SABIC Innovative Plastics: the company’s UV-resistant Ultem resin is used for the extrusion profiles and door latch, and tough Noryl resin for the trolley frame and other components.
According to Thomas Kohler, LSG Sky Chief’s head of engineering, both the full-and half-size trolleys utilize Noryl resin in the frame and critical components to replace metal, slashing weight by up to 40 per cent and reducing the number of parts by a third. The Noryl material also provides non-halogenated flame retardance and enhanced safety with industry-leading flame/smoke/toxicity (FST) performance that meets Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 25.853 requirements.
The Ultem resin, meanwhile, was selected for external components due to its good resistance to UV light and ability to be custom-colored, allowing Norduyn and LSG Sky Chefs to offer trolleys in airlines’ brand colors. Also, the Ultem material meets FAR heat release standards.
The weight-savings tally? “A Boeing 747 fully loaded with these lightweight trolleys could cut weight by approximately 1,650 lbs., equating to a savings of approximately US$65,000 per year in fuel costs,” Kohler said.
SABIC Innovative Plastics (Toronto)
www.sabic-ip.com
1-800-323-3783
