Bradfor – SC21 Silver

A passenger on board a plane takes every aspect of his conveyance into criticism be it the service, the seating arrangement or the flight timing. However, the most important aspect of aircraft luxuriousness that is often overlooked is the aircraft seat covers. These covers are the most essential component of any airline since it is on those very seat covers that a passenger spends most of his time sitting on.

Aircraft seat covers are made with hard work and sheer skill. When a customer/passenger steps aboard an airplane, the first thing he observes, is where he is going to sit. Thus, the most important impression falls in the hands of the aircraft seat cover maker.

Bradfor Limited.
Bradfor Limited, established in 1996, in North Ireland, has grown into a medium sized enterprise by making aircraft seat covers, cushions, diaphragms, pouches and straps. Their professionalism and dexterity has earned them many an award such as ADS Bronze Award, Investors In People Award, WIB Awards 2012 and the SGS AS9100 / ISO9001 certification.

Their clients include B/E Aerospace (Northern Ireland, England and U.S.A), Qatar Airways, Aircraft Cabin Maintenance GMBH, Torrington Distributors Incorporated and Sabeti Wain Aerospace among many others.

Their clients are always left satisfied and always come back for whenever they need more manufacturing done.

Let us look at the various aspects of aircraft seat covers that make them important to the passenger and manufacturer alike.

1.Comfort.
A seat cover should be soft and comfortable so that a passenger does not feel the need to fidget or constantly budge and nudge during the whole journey. This is a common occurrence. Bradfor specializes in making the seat covers that provide the passenger with admirable comfort and relaxation.

2.Durability.
Do you not hate it when you see a ripped, a rugged or a shabby aircraft seat cover? It makes you doubt the whole quality and reliability of the aircraft. To save oneself from this embarrassment, one should invest in trust worthy people to make their aircraft seat covers. Bradfor makes seat covers that are not only comfortable, but are also durable and tensile in nature. This provides long lasting ease to the airline owners and gives a good impression to the passengers too.

3.Aesthetically pleasant.
Drab and dull seat covers are the ultimate anti-aphrodisiacs to the passenger’s eye. Bradfor Limited has a professional and experienced team of designers who utilize the latest tools and machines in technology to print exquisite designs on the seat covers to make them look aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. This way, the passenger will get both the look and the feel of sitting in a luxurious vehicle.

4.Variability.
Bradfor offers a lot of variety of seat covers in terms of designs and fabric for a range of planes like luxury planes, economy planes and business-class planes. The tailoring of the covers is done individually for each model of airplane taking into consideration the context of the aircraft. Moreover, Bradfor offers the client many customizability options and aids in the whole process from development to installation.

Bradfor ltd, a major seat cover manufacturing company in Northern Ireland, have been awarded SC21 Bronze in B/E Aerospace Supply Chain Programme as a result of their manufacturing excellence and advancement with regards to their supply chain performance.

A company with over 20 years’ experience, Bradfor ltd. are a leading business in County Down, lending their knowledge to the manufacturing of seat covers, headrest covers, pouches, straps, diaphragms and other upholstery. SC21 (21st Century Supply Chains), is a programme aimed at progressing the competitiveness of the aerospace industry, largely through elevating the work of supply chains.

Patricia Clements, Bradfor MD, said: “We are overwhelmed to have been acknowledged as the Bronze Award winner from SC21. As a business that had started off locally, it is an honour to be recognised and certified by the SC21 scheme.We have achieved an improvement in our skills and competence with regards to the work of our supply chains.

“Our increase in size and business has long been related to crucial partnerships and being recognised as one of the foremost seat manufacturers in Northern Ireland, noted via the expansion of our reputation. Through accomplishing the SC21 Bronze Award, a credited industry excellence model, we aim to further grow our reputation as a reliable company in the global market, continuing with our 97% rate of on time delivery.”

B/E Aerospace add: “B/E Aerospace is thrilled that Bradfor ltd. has been accredited the SC21 Bronze Award. By showing such a positive attitude and high level of commitment, we believe that they will continue to grow with the help of this renowned award, an award that is no easy fete to achieve. With the SC21 Programme being of such importance to the Supply Chain Management Programme, it is outstanding to see so many of our suppliers take part in this Aerospace and Defence improvement programme.”

ADS, with the aim of improving and advancing the UK aerospace, defence, security and space industries to the global market, implemented the SC21 scheme to add to the competitiveness of the industry, notably those performing in the  supply chain. Invest Northern Ireland has an integral role in supporting local companies that are involved in the programme.

Niall Casey, Invest NI’s Director of Skills and Strategy added: “The suppliers that have achieved success within the programme have demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement – increasing their competence as their business grows, as well as remaining reputable with the delivery of high quality products. Bradfor’s SC21 Bronze award is an important achievement which will position the company among the group of award winning businesses in Northern Ireland who are setting the benchmark on business excellence in our Aerospace sector.

Dr Leslie Orr, Manager ADS NI, added: “Northern Ireland has a very strong and advanced aerospace supply base. I would like to commend Bradfor and all their employees in Rostrevor for achieving this award. We hope this mark of supply chain excellence helps the company reach out to new markets and customers.”

The Centre for Competitiveness based in the Northern Ireland Science Park is the training provider for both Ireland and Northern Ireland for ADS 21st Century Supply Chains. Dr Adrian Gundy, the Senior Executive for Innovation, OD and Business Growth, added,” the Centre for Competitiveness is the strategic partner in Northern Ireland and Ireland for ADS, and we are delighted to be the SC21 Delivery Partner for Bradfor Ltd. Attaining SC21 Bronze is a great achievement.”

The seat covers for the aircraft are important in order to create a big impression. They offer the relaxing ambience to the passengers when they enter into the airplanes. They are well tailored with clean dress covers together with carpets. All these are considered to be a significant factor in making of the right impression.

Many airline seating companies, leasing companies and commercial airlines use the help of the aircraft seat cover manufacturers to get the seats they want. The manufacturers have skilled craftsmen who have the specialization in the interiors items, life vest pouches, class dividers, curtains and dress covers. You can contact them when your airline needs the curtains, floor carpet kits and seat covers. The manufacturers are always pleased to meet all your needs.

The manufacturers have been able to have a good client base because of the reliable source of the high end airplanes they offer. The companies dedicate their times to be the most excellent interior repair companies from many part of this world. They have excellent work relationship with their customer and they are dedicated in rendering of high quality and ideal services.

The aircraft seat cover manufacturers offer a wide range of products and services to the airplane industry. They supply to the company the seat cushions, upholstery, curtains and carpets together with the bulkhead cushions in order to improve the comfort with the aesthetic appeal on the aircraft. These companies also offer the finished products such as carpet kits, headrest covers, curtain covers and all the material should pass the FAA flammability standards. There are many customers who turn to these companies to help them in managing the interior conversion and installation of the programs. They will take the account for the instance selection with the design of the interior component that involve generating and also staging materials for the C-check and for coordinating the aircraft seat repair program.

You may now visit the web pages lf these manufacturers in order to familiarize with the services of the aircraft covers with other products which are provided. If you have anything that you do not understand, you should call the customer care of the company will be ready to help you out.

There are some companies that are known to offer high quality when it comes to the products they sell. The seat covers are needed for both the regional aircraft and big commercial companies. These manufacturers have the complete selection of the seat covers in many materials and designs. These covers are not only meant to be comfortable but they are also meant to ensure that all the safety issues had been covered. The seat covers are comfortable and they make it ease components for the accessibility of the aircraft seat. The covers make the seat to be soft and to look luxurious. The covers make the seat warm in the winter and also fresh in the summer.

While spending enough money and time on the covers of the aircraft seats, the expediency has to be kept in mind. Having comfortable and superior seats will make a difference. The aches and the pains of having to seat in the uncomfortable seat will disappear with the improvements. Being the leaders of the most comfortable aircraft seats comes with safety benefits. The materials used are from the flame retardant materials and they should meet the FAA flame fulfillment requirements. Most of the seat covers are made on the order and this means that they will not slip or scoot at the seat.

The materials used improve the circulation and this means that you will be kept comfortable and alert always. In addition of offering the covers to its clients, the companies also keep up with the aftermarket. In addition of the high quality aircraft covers, they may also deal with the film and entertainment fabrication. The manufacturers should be licensed to make and to fit the seat covers. Whenever there is a need of any change, the covers will be modified so that they can meet the needs of the clients and aircraft companies. The aircraft seat cover manufacturers should present the flammability report, the testing and the certification whenever it is needed. As the seats are important to the experience of the passengers, the operators and the owners of the aircraft want to have the best covers to complement them.

The airline seats are the seats found in the airplanes and they accommodate the passengers during their journey. Such seats are normally arranged according to the rows and they run over the fuselage of the airplane. The diagram of such seats within the aircraft is known as the aircraft seat map.

The UK plane seat manufacturers had to updates their seats as the time passes and before the oldest planes had the seats that looked as armchairs and they were seating loosely in a cabin. However, having moving furniture in the planes has been found to be hazardous and this is why they are now fastened at the floor. but at the same time, the airlines wants to be able to move around the seats and to remove them when necessary and this is why the seats are attached using the rails found on the floor and they are found around the fuselage of the aircraft. This makes it easy to the aircraft if they are looking to reconfigure these seatings. For the safety of the passengers, the airlines seats have been equipped with the seatbelt and they have the fasten seatbelt sign that is found on each seat and it lights up always when a passenger need to have his seatbelt on. This happens while landing, taking off, taxiing or when there is turbulence.

There are basic amenities that every seat should have while there are other amenities that are added according to what the clients want. The seats have to be equipped with the reclining mechanism for the comfort. The reclining system can be electrical or mechanical. Many seats also come with the trays used for reading and eating. These trays can be in the class seats, inside the armrest or in the bulkhead. The airlines may also feature the pockets that have in-flight magazine or with the safety instructions.

The short-haul and small aircraft and low cost carriers all these amenities may not be found. For the airlines that have recline seats, there are seats that may have limited recline or no recline at all.

The modern seats may have the following advanced amenities.

For electronics, the seats have to be equipped with the power ports like USB powered socket, DC, AC and EmPower. They are used to charge headphones to use for audio entertainment and for small electrical appliances. There are airlines that have some TV-screens on the back of every seat as one part of the in-flight entertainment system for the airplanes of long haul.

Adjustable headrests: many of long-haul aircraft or short haul with some airlines, they have seats that come with adjustable headrests. This allows the passengers in adjusting the headrest to achieve more comfort.

The adjustable lumbar support is electrically adjustable and they are found with the long haul first class with the business class seat. In rare occasions, the economy can include the mechanical adjustable lumbar support for long haul.

Massage: there are some business class seats that have built in massage feature.

Flat bed and lie flat seating: There are some of the business class cabins which have the seats that may recline to reach to a sloped flat position. They are known as lie flat seats and they allow better comfort compared to the traditional recliner seat but they are not that comfortable like the horizontal flat bed seating. Many international first class flights with growing number of the international business class cabins has the seats that may recline to reach full horizontal flat to form the bed.

Slimline economy seating: many airlines are now using the slimline seats for the economy class. These are the seats that weight less and they allow the airlines in increasing the capacity without having to affect the passenger comfort. Many passengers are against these seats and there is an ongoing investigation to learn about the safety features of these airlines. Such seats may feature or not the moveable headrests and they do not feature the adjustable lumbar support. These slimline seats may be redefined further with the monospar chassis seats that liberate more passenger space. While evaluating the comfort and the size of the seat, the width and the pitch are the terms that are used most of the time. The seating layout of the seat may be wide body or narrow body.

The passengers are now aware that the specific type of the model seat they seat on is the basic of the experience they get as passengers. Theaeroplane seat manufacturers make different types of seats in the market. The type of the seats may also depend in they are found in the economy or premium economy seating.

The traditional economy has same old seat, with USB, AC power and IFE on demand. The new seats have now the phones slots with the tablet ledges.

Bare bones slimline in the economy: it has enough knee-room with the same pitch which allow 30” pitch feel like it is 31”. It enables the use of sub 28” pitch on the Jetstar and Spirit Style with the fixed recline. Some seat monuments that poke in the passenger may make it feel wider. The seat may lack padding, less back support with short seat pans. With this seat, the traditional seat pitch is not measured by the eyeball to seat back and butt to knee measurement.

Full featured slimline for economy has the same underpinning the barebones version but there is more padding which may take around 31to 32 inches. They normally have the whistles and the bells of the modern economy. They have been constructed cleverly and the models do not make the passenger to think about the slimline. The updates like the winged headrests make the seats to look and to feel premium.

Economy plus with the extra legroom in the economy seats: they are the same seats as the economy seats but they have increased legroom with increased recline. They can be pitched to be over 34” to 38” which means 3-5 inches over the economy seats. Some instances, the AVOD programs are available at full range with meals and alcohol.

Eurobusiness seat: this is for front cabinet for every European airline for continental services. There is occasional option for the premium and economy cabin. There is a blocked seat for every row on the three narrow bodies. Sometime with the fold down table, the seat can be 2-3” with extra pitch. The convertible seats which were seen formally on the BA are being phased out.

Skycouch: they are made in the row of economy seats with enough legrest which rise in order to form the flat sofa for the length of the economy seats. They have been made by the aeroplane seat manufacturers of New Zealand and they had been bought by the Chinese airlines that go for long hauls. They may need a couple of the extra inches for pitch.

Recliner is for US domestic airlines. It is short to the medium outside of the US. You can find them in the international premium economy cabins on the airlines found outside of the US. The pitch is from 37 to 40 inches. The new hybrids are for the CX regional business and they have angled lie-flat, sleeper and cross breed recliners. The recent updates added some bells and whistles with a cut pitch.

Cradle sleeper: this is the version of LA-Z-Boy chair in the aviation. It has a significant recline with larger leg rest compared to the recliners. The recent installs features superseded of the full flat seats with the lie flat.

Full flat: they have been introduced by the British airways of 2000 and they are standards in the most non premium airlines. When a footrest is not included, the customers may experience the problems of the leg droop. They can move backward and forwards.

Herringbone aisle access: they are the seat for first class and they were used for the first time by the Virgin Atlantic. They point to the aisle and some passengers do not like them because they may be looking away of the window. The seat can recline or can flip over in order to reach the footrest for the bed mode.

First class aisle access: the seats are plusher, wider and longer compared to the business equivalents. There are fully flat beds and they can be accessed from the aisle and they have widebody configuration. There is a decline of these seats because of the decline of the international first class. Other options are super first class suites and seat and bed suites.

In case you are in a long flight, the coach seat may be the chair of torture. It does not take much to ruin a good ride of airplane. However, things are expected to get heated. The changes are taking place right now. The carriers are now looking on how to add to their profits but reducing or adding the number of the coach seats, cutting or increasing the distance that exist between rows and others. This is known as aeronautical chair’s game that can affect the passenger comfort, cost and convenience.

Now the experts from the aircraft seat manufacturers talk about the reasons that may be behind such discomfort and anger. They true is that the seats get smaller, passenger get bigger and also closer. What has been found out is that the seat has become too narrow and there are no place where to use the arms or shoulders. However, the challenge is that the seats are the basic of the revenue that the company gets. Some aircraft has 3 seats on each side but to achieve the maximum comfort, at least 2 seats have to be found on every side so that the seats may be somehow wider. However, this will reduce the head count which means reduced revenue and this will not work out.

Another problem is that while measuring the seat, the manufacturers used the hips of men and they were thinking that it will still accommodate that of women but they did not consider that it is not possible for larger women. This is why the airlines seats are at least 5 inches narrow. The first concern about the comfort of the seat is how it is easy to move in the seat. People want to readjust their posture as many times as they can in order to stay comfortable. When this is not the case, the passengers are at risk of suffering deep vein thrombosis, which is a serious health problem that affects the people who suffer blood clots. When the patients seat on the place for a long period, it may lead to the clotting of the veins. The clots may break loose and they may travel within the bloodstream and they may lodge in lungs while blocking the flow of the blood.

Even the aircraft seat manufacturers are now working on reconfiguring the seat of the airplanes, the width may not change. It is also possible that the seat will start to move closer together. The pitch is known as the distance from one seat to the same point for another found behind it. The typical seat pitch coach is 31 to 35 but with the new pitch configuration, the rows will move closer. However, with the new seat design, the passengers are looking to get extra inch for the legroom. Many passengers agree that they can pay more to have more leg room.

The latest magic word with the aircraft seat manufacturers is the articulating seat pan. Articulating seat pan is how the airlines tend to move seats row closer together but without affecting the legroom. With the traditional reclining airline seat, the seat back alone moves, however, with the articulating seat pan, the back of the rear moves while the seat pan may move forward. The back of a seat will not be moving like the traditional seat did. However, there is a feeling that it gets even further. Since seat will not need too much room when it comes to the reclining, it will save space to offer more seats. The back of the seat is also thinner and this saves more space.

According to the aircraft seat manufacturers, the coach seats are not expected to get bigger sooner. This is because the concern of the consumers is not about having bigger seat but having low fare and this is what the airlines are offering. The manufacturers of the seat are ready to make wide seat but still they have to do what their customers who are the airlines ask them to do. The airlines also want to give their passengers what they are looking. If the customers complain about the width of their seats, they are the ones who can drive the change. By now, the seats are meant to offer a comfortable seating but at the same time balancing with the affordable fare.