Innovation in Aircraft Cabin Interior Panels Part I: Technical Assessment on Replacing the Honeycomb with Structural Foams and Evaluation of Optimal Curing of Prepreg Fiberglass

Abstract

Sandwich composites are widely used in the manufacture of aircraft cabin interior panels for commercial aircraft, mainly due to the light weight of the composites and their high strength-to-weight ratio. Panels are used for floors, ceilings, kitchen walls, cabinets, seats, and cabin dividers. The honeycomb core of the panels is a very light structure that provides high rigidity, which is considerably increased with fiberglass face sheets. The panels are manufactured using the compression molding process, where the honeycomb core is crushed up to the desired thickness. The crushed core breaks fiberglass face sheets and causes other damage, so the panel must be reworked. Some damage is associated with excessive build-up of resin in localized areas, incomplete curing of the pre-impregnated fiberglass during the manufacturing process, and excessive temperature or residence time during the compression molding. This work evaluates the feasibility of using rigid polyurethane foams as a substitute for the honeycomb core. The thermal and viscoelastic behavior of the cured prepreg fiberglass under different manufacturing conditions is studied. The first part of this work presents the influence of the manufacturing parameters and the feasibility of using rigid foams in manufacturing flat panels oriented to non-structural applications. The conclusion of the article describes the focus of future research.

Innovation in Aircraft Cabin Interior Panels. Part II: Technical Assessment on Replacing Glass Fiber with Thermoplastic Polymers and Panels Fabricated Using Vacuum Forming Process

“…Figure 1 shows the GF prepreg and the ABS sheets before using to form the panels. The honeycomb and foam cores were presented in a previous work [19].…”

“…Figure 1 shows the GF prepreg and the ABS sheets before using to form the panels. The honeycomb and foam cores were presented in a previous work [19]. This work will manufacture prototype panels using a V-shaped mold to simulate one of the complex shapes manufactured in the aeronautical cabin interiors sector.…”

“…A previous work entitled "Innovation in aircraft cabin interior panels part I: Technical assessment on replacing the honeycomb with structural foams and evaluation of optimal curing of prepreg fiberglass" [19] was focused on the evaluation of the primary components for structural sandwich panels such as aramid paper honeycomb, vinyl foam, and glass fiber prepreg skin. In addition, the paper evaluates the optimal curing processing parameters through the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) technique by varying the processing manufacturing conditions.…”

Evaluating Passengers’ Satisfaction with Aircraft Cabin Interior in EgyptAir

“…The aircraft cabin interior is comprised of various components; each component has its function. This includes aircraft seating, in-flight entertainment and connectivity, galley equipment, aircraft lavatories, aircraft windows, and overhead compartments (Franco-Urquiza et al, 2021).…”