The escalating price of fuel has made saving weight one of the big issues for OEMs and their suppliers. Dutch company Driessen is one company looking at new ways to reduce weight by producing lighter products in its areas of business - cargo equipment, galley equipment and interiors.
Its Eagle range of composite galley trolleys is one example. “Traditionally trolleys have been made of aluminium, but with composites it allows for a lightweight construction,” says Michiel Maris, director sales and marketing. “We didn’t just want a lightweight trolley – we wanted to give the trolley a modern design.
“We want our customers to get a complete through-life value of ownership. It is not just our designs that we offer but customised items too. We have customised a trolley for JAL, who wanted to have extra space on top of the trolley. They now have that and can use two boxes with two staff from the single trolley,” he adds.
The Eagle trolley system has been through a six-month trial programme, and following comments from users Driessen is going to make changes to the design. As well as a more contemporary design, it also introduces a new cooling system that channels cold air through the vertical dry ice divider, evenly distributing the air through the trolley. Because the trolley is made of composites there are no extrusions as with aluminium trolleys, which reduces the number of heat sinks. The result – the cooling effect of the dry ice lasts longer.
Elsewhere in the cargo world Driessen expects to have its composite cargo container ready by October this year. “While the new container will be able to cater for new buys, we are also adapting existing aluminium containers for retrofit. The aluminium frame will remain, but the panels can be replace with our composite panels,” explains Maris.
The company also offers a completely modular galley system; Maris says this modular ability is particularly appealing to lease companies.
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Source: Flight Daily News
