$6m safety lighting contract
$6m safety lighting contract
Keywords: Boeing, STG Aerospace, Emergency lighting
It is reported that Boeing has selected leading-edge technology from a British company, which could save lives during evacuation of stricken aircraft.
Saf-T-Gio Aerospace Ltd (STG), which wins $6m over six years from the Boeing deal, has developed photoluminescent systems for aircraft cabins which glow without power and point the way to safety, regardless of on-board power failure in the event of an emergency.
The seeds of the technology were sown in the 1985 Manchester air disaster. Passengers were trapped as the aircraft turned into an inferno. Some died because systems that should have indicated available exits were rendered useless in the blaze.
Peter Bodle, technical director of STG, saw film of the disaster and was sure his company's "old-tech" photoluminescent technology for industry could be developed to provide a fail-safe evacuation device and save lives in a similar emergency.
In 1994, new investment and management into the company pursued the ideas,and after five years of development by STG's dedicated research and engineering team, its patented technology has been taken not only by Boeing but also other international airlines and operators.
STG's technology requires no power source. The material glows brightly and has greater longevity than electricity-powered alternatives. As adapted for aircraft safety, the refined technology has now reportedly won key approval from the FAA and CAA and more than 30 other international regulatory bodies.
Details available from: STG Aerospace. Tel: +44 (0) 1760 723232; Fax: +44 (0)1760 723323; E-mail: info@stgaerospace.com;Web site: www.stgaerospace.com
