Collaboration between Ultrafabrics, Tapis and Franklin has resulted in two Ultrafabrics products being shortlisted for the 2021 Crystal Cabin Awards, which honour aircraft interior innovations. The winners will be revealed at Aircraft Interiors Expo in September 2021. Two of Ultrafabrics’ fabrics, Atago and Promessa AV, are in the running.
Ultrafabrics broke ground with its partnership with Tapis in 2021 when Jet Blue announced the selection of Ultrafabrics Promessa AV for its latest A220.
Promessa AV features a backcloth designed to provide dimensional stability and greater recovery. The product has inherent EPA-registered antimicrobial properties and was engineered to withstand repeated cleaning and disinfecting, as recommended by the CDC to avoid COVID-19 exposure.
Meanwhile, continuing their partnership, Ultrafabrics, Tapis and Franklin Products joined forces to create Atago. Named after the Atago Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, which was erected to protect the residents from fire, Atago by Ultrafabrics combines a fire-blocking backcloth with Ultrafabrics’ haptic qualities.
Atago is designed to be inherently lightweight, and the companies note its use means a traditional fire-blocking layer is not needed in the seat cushion build, further lightening the load by up to 1 lb per passenger place. They add that passengers will experience the same level of comfort and wellbeing as they’ve come to expect from Ultrafabrics products.
“Being recognised by industry leaders in aviation interiors is really the pinnacle of achievement for our team and our partners,” said Perry Hodge, vice president of transportation at Ultrafabrics. “We make a point to continually improve with every innovation, and this recognition shows we are heading in the right direction.”
“Our ongoing collaboration with both Tapis and Franklin ensures we understand every aspect of the aviation interiors market, with that knowledge we can bring true value to every stakeholder,” said A R Swan, director of marketing.
Ultrafabrics polyurethane products are crafted in a Japanese mill using a proprietary production process. The strategic partnership between Tapis and Ultrafabrics goes back 40 years. Tapis’ AS9100-certified testing facility has developed a two-stage process to fire-treat Ultrafabrics products, allowing a total solution package for specific project needs.
