The extreme engineering of aircraft windows
Few companies have the technology to make aircraft windows which are getting harder to make.
In late May, a chemical storage tank at a GKN Aerospace facility near Los Angeles began heating up, posing a significant risk of explosion. The tank, holding over 7,000 gallons of toxic methyl methacrylate (MMA), was used in plastics production and could have released the compound, which is skin and lung-irritating. Over 50,000 residents were evacuated as fire crews worked to cool the tank. The vessel bulged at one point, but an explosion was narrowly avoided.
In August, GKN Aerospace and local authorities announced a $100m compensation program for the evacuated residents. However, the production of aircraft windows at the facility, which had halted, remains only at around 50% of normal. GKN is one of the few companies globally that produce these highly engineered, safety-critical components, making the incident a potential supply chain shock for the aviation industry.
Marisa Garcia, an aviation industry analyst, notes that GKN is one of only a handful of suppliers of these critical windows, making their operation vital to the industry. Boeing and Airbus have stated they are taking steps to mitigate any potential impacts, and airlines are currently struggling to procure new aircraft fast enough, leading to a longer aircraft retention period.
The process of making an aircraft window starts with acrylic sheets, which are cut to size and shaped. The largest cabin windows are increasingly ordered to offer passengers a wider view, but this requires additional testing to ensure the larger windows maintain their structural integrity. Saint-Gobain Aerospace, a company involved in the production of these windows, tests their windows under extreme conditions, including pressures that exceed normal flight altitudes.
Cockpit windows, made of chemically reinforced glass, are made differently than cabin windows. They are designed to withstand bird strikes, which pose a significant threat due to the plane's speed relative to the bird's. Saint-Gobain uses numerical simulations and physical tests to ensure the windows can withstand such impacts. Despite the challenges, Saint-Gobain remains a key supplier of these essential aircraft components.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
