Sicma Aero Seat and a look at the manufacturing of helicopter seats

A seat can save your life! Despite the importance of its aesthetics, this fundamental component of a rotary wing aircraft, must meet many safety standards. Its development, manufacturing and integration into the airframe requires a long process that is explained to us by Stéphane Berthelot, sales manager and manager of the crew seats business unit at Sicma Aero Seat, one of the principal manufacturers of helicopter seats in France.

Text written by Gabrielle Mansier

H.M: What are the criteria for the development of a helicopter seat at Sicma Aero Seat?
Stéphane Berthelot: « A seat should invite the occupant to settle in comfortably. However, that is only the beginning. We rarely complete a seat’s design all by ourselves. We of course work on original concepts, however the development of a seat is accomplished based on many other criteria, some of which are provided to us by our manufacturer partners including the size of the cabin, the number of occupants and the required levels of performance. Other criteria are imposed by the regulations in the country where the helicopter will be operated. Finally, the aircraft’s mission (civil or military operations, light or heavy lift helicopter, VIP cabins), remains a fundamental element that influences how a seat is defined. Thus, the development of a seat is a combination of different levels of expertise: marketing and sales, ergonomics, mechanical and hydraulic engineering, calculation, airworthiness, industrialization, … and has a grammar that is a bit complex, filled with specifications. Note simply the idea that a seat is an assembly whose elements interact toward one or more specific goals, but whose purpose must remain the safety and comfort of the passengers and pilot.

H.M: I imagine that the security requirements are an integral part of a seat’s design . What are your requirements in this area?
S.B: « Before we manufacture, we must justify the performance of our seats, and ensure compliance with the authorities, this is followed by the granting of a TSO (Technical Standard Order) which enables the seat be airworthy. We intensively test all seat components which include the mechanical structures, foam and electrical systems, among other things, based on the specified environment and type of occupant. Intensive testing means dynamic tests up to 30G in several directions, equipment retention tests and static tension tests. These tests are used to evaluate and study the behavior of the seats and test dummies, as well as the different configurations that could be applied. The test dummies are equipped with sensors that measure what they experience, while the seat structure is constrained to simulate a deformed floor. The worst conditions are united in order to launch a dynamic test, performed using a catapult. Some tests are more impressive than others, such as the simulation of an emergency crash landing or a crash down. At the same time, we verify that the passenger’s head doesn’t come into contact with another part of the cabin, or if so, that no repercussions will be caused (HIC – Head Injury Criterion); the same goes for the effects on the lumbar region. The result of these tests validate, « the pass/fail criteria, » listed in the regulations and finalize the certification. If a test is inconclusive, we modify certain components in order to obtain a « perfect » seat in terms of security. Guarantying the airworthiness of a seat and its occupant’s safety necessitates very large investments that a simple manufacturer can not take on by itself « 

H.M: You also perform fire resistance tests. Can you tell us more about that?
S.B: « Yes, exactly, the seat is also submitted to kerosene fueled flame tests, which measure the resistance that these materials have in regards to the spread of fire and smoke throughout the cabin. The time necessary to extinguish the flames is calculated as well as the loss of mass and the surface area burned. Within Sicma Aero Seat, we have a certification department with a fire test laboratory, a laboratory with machines used for cycle and vibration testing, a catapult for dynamic tests and the teams that bring together all of the expertise needed to justify the performance and robustness of our seats. It is a unique know-how that we regularly draw upon. However, our tests do not stop there. The electrical systems and the seat’s evolution in its environment are also among the elements that we certify. Two important points are particularly studied: vibrations in case of engine failure or a broken blade and vibration effects during normal flight. The first aims to prove that the seat will not come off the tracks before the landing is accomplished. The second, which is also given great importance, verifies that the vibrational effects have no impact on passenger comfort. Temperature and humidity testing are also performed during this phase. All of this leads to the seat’s certification. »

H.M: Thus you adhere to a certain number of standards. What are they?
S.B: « Airworthiness remains an essential element in our activity as a seat expert. Without this concept, it would be impossible to install a seat in a cabin. This airworthiness is associated with different levels of seat performance requirements. The main standards are FAR 27, FAR 29 and the specifications MIL, AS8049, AS 8043, TSO C127a, TSO C39b and TSO C114. Our close collaboration with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) enables us to be regularly informed and proactively discuss the level of requirements. We are also proud to be ISO 14001 certified in our daily activities on environmental management; our existence and industrial performance are compatible with sustainable development. »

H.M: In regards to these standards what is your design and customization potential?
S.B: « The dimension that design customization takes may seem small faced with the growing and impressive list of requirements. However, these requirements all converge on the idea of passenger safety. Finally, the potential of our activity is enlarged because we have a real responsibility that goes beyond the complex design of a seat. A seat is not only beautiful, or just comfortable, it is designed to save the lives of its occupants. And in this area, there is no room for approximation.”

H.M: What place does customization have in all of this?
S.B: « Most of our seats have a certified mechanical structure that we can equip with different options or new materials (leather or fabric). From the same structure we can therefore customize a seat without affecting its level of airworthiness, whether for an ordinary installation or for an operator looking for a « unique » cabin. Daily, and with the support of Zodiac Services, we create Service Bulletins to change interior fittings, add or remove a headrest, and modify the color of a seat belt among many others. We are organized to respond rapidly and transparently and we study every request. A current project concerns the conversion of existing cabins with seats from our new ranges. The changes concern the environment in addition to the seats. »

H.M: For the time being, who are your seats for?
S.B: « Our seats are primarily intended for pilots and passengers. Their comfort is very important to us. Our seats are installed in various environments, from the smallest to the largest cabins possible. That’s why most of our clients are manufacturers; American and European for now. Finally the seat has always been a vector of image and we have worked with MROs on restyling the trim; seats can be very conspicuous symbols of success with finishes that are extremely refined using rare materials, or ensuring quick maintenance with more operational finishes associated with large rotation volumes. We operate in an industry that merits the size of our investment because the potential is large in terms of development « 

H.M: That is to say?
S.B: « By focusing on all of the sector’s players and listening to them, we finished by identifying an infinite quantity of combinations and possibilities, either adapted to our product lines, or the source of the creation of new ones. New emerging markets located in Brazil, Russia, India and China require a significantly different approach in terms of the operation of seats and helicopters. We have been working on this for several months. Cabin flexibility is a real priority in the image of cargo aircraft equipped with seats. A helicopter could be used just like a taxi, without belonging to the elite. We aim to respond to any request through our bank of concepts and our experience in these new markets. We are also working on solutions to provide turnkey packages on cabins already in operation. As a long time expert and as I have explained before, we can customize seats whether it be in terms of the choice of leather or the integration of electrical components such as VOD or a telephone; we are able to propose innovative solutions to our customers. Our only limit is our customers’ imaginations. To succeed with these innovations and offer concrete solutions, I collaborate with Catherine Sibottier, product and development program manager. Our mission is based on the alignment of an industrial response to market demand. Our desire is to be able to predict the expectations of the market by offering innovative propositions. Instead of waiting for requests from clients, we anticipate them. »

H.M: What does the future of helicopter seats have in store?
S.B: « They will be lighter and will include new options. The race to reduce seat weight is of great interest to helicopter manufacturers looking for speed and reduced fuel consumption. We will not stay on the sidelines and our objectives are already displayed in all our current developments: seats weighing less than 10 kg, the increased availability of « quick release » for a cabin reconfiguration within 10 minutes, the adjustment of seat height, the position of the headrests and the gradual tilt of seats for greater comfort in flight are just a partial view of the future of our products. We take every opportunity to listen to those who use our products because they too are sources of innovation and opportunity. We simply combine our different expertise: we research new materials to generate weight reductions, new systems of energy absorption for improved performance and flexibility and the possibility of recycling the seats at the end of their life so that they leave behind the smallest footprint possible. In parallel, other areas of work emphasize the acquisition cost when the cost of operation is already near zero. In the medium term, we offer a 100% recyclable seat with superior performance, in line with the sustainable development policy followed by the aviation industry; a policy backed by Zodiac Aerospace »

H.M: Currently how many helicopter seats have been manufactured by Sicma Aero Seat.
S.B: « Since May of 2000, 10,000 helicopter seats have been delivered by Sicma Aero Seat. This year we are targeting a production of over 2000 helicopter seats. The helicopter seat market represents a strategic sector for Sicma Aero Seat and we are particularly keen to expand our business in this market. And our ambition for 2011 is to implement a new organization of our production lines, driven by our « lean » and « kaizen » experts, in order to eventually enable the doubling our current production capacity.”