ZOTEK F OSU applied to Technifab’s unique dimmable window housing
Technifab Inc (Avon, OH, USA), has successfully incorporated Zotefoams’ high-performance polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) foam, ZOTEK® F30 OSU, into the design of a complex aircraft window housing, which acts as a mounting surface for an electronically dimmable windowpane, the first time this technology had been seen in a commercial aircraft.
This highly engineered product, developed for one of the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturers, performs several functions and incorporates many innovative features.
The housing functions as a seal between the sidewall panel and the aircraft structure to keep the windowpane from fogging up. The design incorporates an innovative bellows feature to allow for optimal pressure for the seal between the sidewall panel and aircraft structure.
Furthermore, the housing is designed to match the high aesthetic standards of the aircraft’s cabin. In this case, the surface texturing and white colour were required to be consistent with the cabin interior.
As an added challenge, when the cabin is dark, and the window is dimmed, there can be no ring of light coming through the white seal. In response, Technifab incorporated ZOTEK F 30 grey material in the outer part of the seal to block the light.
Finally, as an efficiency measure, plastic mounting clips with mating counterparts on the aircraft structure were attached to facilitate an easy snap-in installation.
