The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all our lives - people want to feel safe, and hygiene is becoming an increasingly important factor. With Pure Cabin, FACC has created an innovative, antimicrobial surface coating for aircraft cabins. In addition to strengthening the technology group's position in the important field of aftermarket services, Pure Cabin offers passengers a relaxed and carefree flight experience in compliance with the highest safety standards. FACC will present the innovation to the market at MRO Americas taking place end of April in Orlando, USA.
Safety is a word which has taken on a special meaning these days. For many things which we did not use to think twice about, we are now asking ourselves: how safe is it? Humans are haptic beings; our sense of touch plays a decisive role in our perception and experience of the world. The corona pandemic has not only changed our feeling of safety, but also the way we interact with surfaces. The fear of contamination, for instance, may contribute to people feeling less safe in airplane cabins than before. This change in attitude toward touching materials and objects is a new reality and will continue even after the critical phases of the pandemic – at least for some time.
Safety made by FACC
With its latest product, the aerospace company has demonstrated that innovation is not an empty buzzword for FACC, but that it is firmly anchored in its DNA: With Pure Cabin, FACC has developed a solution that effectively and sustainably frees surfaces from all types of viruses, bacteria and fungi, and gives passengers back a carefree flight experience. “PURE CABIN not only enables new, and even higher, hygiene standards to be achieved - passengers can now once again embark on their journey completely relaxed without worrying, and enjoy their flight. This also means having a good feeling about stowing their luggage in the overhead compartments, making themselves comfortable in their seat, folding down their seat table, adjusting the light and much more besides," explains Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC.
The permanent photocatalytic surface solution by FACC is based on the TiO2 plus metal complex and was developed for line-fit cabin products and retrofit cabin applications. PURE CABIN is completely harmless to health: the substances are neither toxic nor biocide-based. Moreover, it can be applied to all surfaces: whether laminate, leather, metal, injection molding, fabrics or other materials – the special solution guarantees that virtually all viruses are eliminated in less than 10 minutes - and for up to one year. In addition, Pure Cabin scores with its quick and easy handling: After cleaning the surfaces, the solution is applied to the respective material and left for five minutes, after which the enclosed special lamp can be used to check whether all areas have been reached. The effectiveness of PURE CABIN has been checked and confirmed by means of a professional, standardized ISO test procedure carried out by independent laboratories such as OFI.
Strengthening aftermarket services
With PURE CABIN, FACC has added another powerful product to its aftermarket services portfolio. "As a high-tech company with a claim to leadership, we are constantly striving to develop further. PURE CABIN not only contributes significantly to flight safety - even after the end of the corona pandemic - but also strengthens our solid position in the growing field of aftermarket services," emphasizes Christian Mundigler, vice president of FACC aftermarket services. "Our goal is to make the mobility of the future even safer by means of innovative solutions such as PURE CABIN, and to create travel experiences that make all the difference," concludes Mundigler. Partner in the development of the Pure Cabin solution was the Upper Austrian company Pigmentsolution GmbH.