RTX division Collins Aerospace has won the 2024 Crystal Cabin Award for its innovative STARLight structural technology, the company said recently in a press release.
This award, which celebrates outstanding innovation in aircraft interior design, has honored Collins Aerospace for its excellence in the Material and Components category, enabling the company to receive Crystal Cabin Awards for the 14th time in the program's 18-year history.
STARLight structures are exceptionally lightweight, robust, and environmentally friendly composite structures. They are designed for seamless integration into various cabin interior areas such as seats, galleys, monuments, lavatories, and interior linings, the press release noted.
Sophisticated composite design tools, automated manufacturing methods, and the incorporation of renewable materials yield architectures that are thinner and lighter compared to conventional honeycomb panels, it noted, adding that these monolithic structures are fortified with stiffeners tailored to the shape and curvature of the final product, thereby bolstering its strength, reliability, and overall integrity.
Rebecca Stoner, vice president of engineering at Collins Aerospace said “innovation and the relentless pursuit of technology development and integration is not just core to all we do but is foundational to Collins' service of our global customer base.”
“The recognition of STARLight structures as a Crystal Cabin Award winner is an incredible testament to the Collins team and how something as simple as material development and optimization can provide an outsized impact on manufacturing, cabin integration and aircraft operations,” she underscored.
STARLight technologies employ advanced machining techniques that eradicate the necessity for pre-preg fabric, adhesives, and bonding during the material assembly phase. This not only reduces structural weight but also brings about a substantial decrease in material wastage and energy-intensive manufacturing processes.
Collins Aerospace was also recognized as a finalist for two other 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards for their ARISE intelligent comfort system and the ADAPT digital flight experience control.
