Story ID: 460E
UTAS Launches New Lightweight Veneers
By: James Wynbrandt
Caption: The FLite products series features a 40 percent to 60 percent weight reduction over the company's current veneers.
Word Count: 290
Capping “several years of research and development,” UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS, Booth 115B) launched the FLite series, a new product line from its Booth Veneers division, this week at EBACE 21018. “These advanced-technology products leverage patent-pending technology to provide weight savings of up to 40 to 60 percent compared to our current offerings,” said Joshua Florio, Booth Veneers general manager.

The new veneers, which include FLiteFlex and AlumiFLite, were developed to meet customer requests for veneers that are lighter, more flexible and less flammable, lowering aircraft weight and improving performance, according to the company. The products build on the company’s existing three-ply veneers that use a poplar substrate first introduced by Carl Booth in 1976.

FLiteFlex is a two-ply product that provides greater balance of thermal and electrical properties through its proprietary, patent-pending combination of face veneer and synthetic substrate. As a result, FLiteFlex is nearly 60 percent lighter than existing Booth Veneers products, representing up to 500 pounds of weight savings per aircraft, depending on the cabin size and amount of veneer used, the company said. The burn-resistant substrate is thinner and more durable than its current veneers, and also offers increased flexibility, able to bend around radii that traditional veneers cannot.

AlumiFLite is a three-ply product consisting of a face veneer with an aluminum core and poplar backer. Compared to traditional three-ply veneers, AlumiFLite offers a 40 percent weight savings per shipset, in addition to increased flexibility. The face veneer is chemical free, requiring no fire-retardant chemical, and the aluminum core is offered in two thickness options.

Showcased at the company’s display this week in Geneva, both FLiteFlex and AlumiFLite are available in the same wood product varieties as Booth’s legacy veneers.