SCHOTT wins Crystal Cabin Award for its innovative interior sidewall window panes in passenger aircraft

SCHOTT is the first company to offer a product that meets all requirements of fire protection and mechanical reliability, and which is lighter than traditional plastics-based sidewall window panes in aircraft interiors. SCHOTT is displaying its product portfolio at Aircraft Interior Expo in Hamburg from April 8 to 10 (SCHOTT booth 6B57).

The specialty glass composite from SCHOTT (right) is just as breakage-resistant as the material traditionally used for sidewall window panes. It is, however, significantly thinner and lighter.



Sidewall window panes in passenger aircraft fulfill important safety functions and create an authentic flying experience for passengers by providing views to the outside. SCHOTT in cooperation with the company Diehl Aircabin has developed a laminated glass composite for interior sidewall window panes consisting of the company’s special flat glass Xensation® Cover and foils. These new sidewall window panes offer additional benefits to airlines and passengers alike and are superior to traditional plastic-based panes.



“For this new product we pooled our expertise in developing the world’s strongest cover glass for smartphones and tablet PCs Xensation® Cover with our long-term expertise in developing high-performance fire-resistant glazings. We are very happy about winning the Crystal Cabin Award. We see this award as a confirmation that our new product idea is interesting for the market, opening up new opportunities for interior aircraft designers”, says Dr. Jochen Alkemper, Head of Product Development at SCHOTT in Jena.



SCHOTT’s new glass composite fulfills the aviation safety regulations for cabins including the strictest standards in case of fire. Moreover, the composite panes are approximately 40 percent lighter resulting in significant savings in fuel and lower emissions. They are also more scratch-resistant requiring less frequent replacement and allowing passengers a clearer view to the outside for longer. The panes are easier to clean, improving the overall hygiene of the cabins. This opens the door to new application options such as large-sized partitions.



SCHOTT has filed initial patent applications for its new product. Further applications to extend the patent family are pending.



About the award:



The Crystal Cabin Award is the only international award for excellence in aircraft interior innovation, donated by the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The award's object is to motivate companies and research facilities to develop new products and modern designs for aircraft cabin interiors.



For the 2014 competition the participants competed in seven categories: Greener Cabin, Health, Safety & Environment; Industrial Design & Visionary Concepts; Material & Components; Passenger Comfort Hardware; Passenger Comfort Systems; Premium Class & VIP; University.  http://www.crystal-cabin-award.com /



Xensation® is a registered trademark of SCHOTT AG.



SCHOTT is an international technology group with 130 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, pharmaceutical, electronics, optics and transportation 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 35 countries. Its workforce of 15,400 employees generated worldwide sales of 1.84 billion euros for the 2012/2013 fiscal year. SCHOTT AG, with its headquarters in Mainz (Germany) is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.