Date: 12 April 2012
And their very first joint development has already made the shortlist for one of the most prestigious innovation awards in the industry. The new cabin lighting product HelioJet that combines the latest lighting technologies has been nominated for the Crystal Cabin Award in the category “Passenger Comfort.” The award is presented each year at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg.
The AIX is the world’s leading trade fair on cabin interiors and onboard systems. At this exhibition, the Hanseatic City of Hamburg presents the Crystal Cabin Award to recognize outstanding products and strategies for aircraft cabins. The jury’s main objective is to encourage fundamental improvements in passenger comfort. This is also the objective of SCHOTT Lighting and Imaging and Lufthansa Technik with HelioJet.
HelioJet is an optical light converter at the ends of which two LEDs feed light. Unlike conventional LED solutions, light is not generated by several connected diodes, but rather evenly mixed. For this reason, HelioJet shines as homogeneously and brilliantly as a gas-filled fluorescent tube, yet is much more durable and energy-efficient. In addition, the light beam and aperture angle can be adjusted rather precisely with HelioJet. The new development that combines light diodes and glass elements with fiber optic expertise is already being field-tested on board an Airbus A319.
“Light plays a very important role when it comes to creating an atmosphere on board an aircraft that makes passengers feel at home,” says Dr. Armin Plichta, Head of Transportation at SCHOTT Lighting and Imaging. “Our top priority was therefore to develop an innovative solution that offers guests the desired comfort. Both we and Lufthansa Technik view the fact that we were successful at this with HelioJet and even made the shortlist for the Crystal Cabin Award to be both recognition and an incentive to continue working hard,” he adds.
Andrew Muirhead, Director of Innovation at Lufthansa Technik AG, points out that passengers are not the only ones who benefit from this new technology. “HelioJet only requires about one fifth as many light-emitting diodes as conventional LED solutions. This has a positive effect on reliability, maintenance and costs and makes our latest development attractive for all airlines,” he notes.
All those interested in learning more about the innovative cabin lighting solution HelioJet will certainly find it at SCHOTT’s booth 5G80 and Lufthansa Technik’s booth 6D65 at AIX from March 27 – 29. The partners will be presenting an initial close-to-production solution that features white LEDs. Other versions with colored LED light for mood lighting scenarios are already being developed.
SCHOTT Lighting and Imaging, a Business Unit of the international technology company SCHOTT AG, has been active in the area of cabin illumination since the early 1990s. Today, its product portfolio includes general illumination, ambient scenario and seat illumination solutions. Especially the technological expertise in the field of optical fibers combined with LED-based light sources gives SCHOTT a competitive edge. Furthermore, SCHOTT is market leader for pure LED-based reading lights, which fulfill not only technical requirements, but also more design-related expectations.
SCHOTT is an international technology group with more than 125 years of experience in the areas of specialty glasses and materials and advanced technologies. SCHOTT ranks number one in the world with many of its products. Its core markets are the household appliance, solar power, pharmaceuticals, electronics, optics, transportation and architecture industries. The company is strongly committed to contributing to its customers’ success and making SCHOTT an important part of people’s lives with high-quality products and intelligent solutions. SCHOTT is committed to managing its business in a sustainable manner and supporting its employees, society and the environment. The SCHOTT Group maintains close proximity to its customers with manufacturing and sales units in all major markets. Its workforce of around 17,000 employees generated worldwide sales of approximately 2.9 billion euros for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. SCHOTT AG, with its headquarters in Mainz (Germany) is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and about 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading manufacturer-independent providers of services for the aviation industry. Lufthansa Technik is licensed internationally as a repair, production and development enterprise. The Group’s portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services in the areas of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components.
SCHOTT AG
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