{"id":41506,"date":"2026-03-17T12:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T12:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heathcoat.co.uk\/?p=41506"},"modified":"2026-03-17T13:56:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T13:56:35","slug":"beyond-foam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heathcoat.co.uk\/de\/beyond-foam\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire-Safe Spacer Fabric for Next-Gen Aircraft Seating"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"core-block core-block-generic\"><div><h3><strong>Beyond Foam: The Rise of Non-Melt Spacer Fabrics in Aircraft Seat Construction<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1409\" data-end=\"1652\">As aircraft interior programmes place increasing emphasis on fire safety, heat release and smoke density performance under FAR\/CS 25.853, attention is turning to a component long considered standard: polyurethane foam within seat construction.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1654\" data-end=\"1741\">A new generation of flame-retardant 3D spacer textiles is now challenging that default.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1743\" data-end=\"2134\">At the forefront is <strong data-start=\"1763\" data-end=\"1774\">EVO-FR\u2122<\/strong>, a <strong data-start=\"1778\" data-end=\"1816\">PEI-based 3D knitted spacer fabric<\/strong> engineered specifically for aircraft seat applications. Unlike conventional foams, which can melt, drip and emit dense smoke when exposed to flame, EVO-FR\u2122 exhibits <strong data-start=\"1982\" data-end=\"2014\">non-melt, non-drip behaviour<\/strong>. Under heat, the material degrades and carbonises, helping reduce smoke density while maintaining structural integrity.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2136\" data-end=\"2171\">Redefining Material Assumptions<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2173\" data-end=\"2515\">\u201cFoam has been widely accepted for decades, but with EVO-FR\u2122, we\u2019re introducing a flame-retardant spacer textile that behaves fundamentally differently under heat,\u201d says <strong data-start=\"2343\" data-end=\"2359\">Gemma Groves<\/strong>, Knitting Sales Manager at Heathcoat Fabrics Ltd. \u201cIn a confined aircraft cabin, reducing melt-drip and smoke generation can make a measurable difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2517\" data-end=\"2789\">Polyetherimide (PEI) is already trusted in hard aircraft interior components, including galleys, partition liners and ceiling panels. Its processing into a compressible 3D knitted spacer textile format marks a new application within soft furnishings and seat construction.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2791\" data-end=\"2823\">Part of the Spacetec\u00ae family<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2825\" data-end=\"3190\">EVO-FR\u2122 forms part of <strong data-start=\"2847\" data-end=\"2886\">Heathcoat Fabrics\u2019 Spacetec\u00ae family<\/strong> of 3D spacer fabrics, developed as alternatives to foam beneath leather or synthetic upholstery, within dress covers and across vertical cabin surfaces. Thickness options range from <strong data-start=\"3069\" data-end=\"3085\">2mm to 6.5mm<\/strong>, with capabilities to knit up to <strong data-start=\"3119\" data-end=\"3127\">10mm<\/strong>, enabling use across multiple seating classes and cabin zones.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3192\" data-end=\"3487\">The development is supported by vertically integrated manufacturing. Heathcoat Fabrics combines warp knitting, weaving, dyeing, finishing and technical testing within its UK facility, enabling full material traceability and controlled quality assurance \u2013 essential for aerospace qualification.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3489\" data-end=\"3722\">\u201cIn aerospace, innovation must be repeatable and fully documented,\u201d Groves explains. \u201cBecause we control the process from yarn through to finished textile and testing, we can ensure compliance, consistency and complete traceability.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 data-start=\"3724\" data-end=\"3768\">Burn performance \u2013 inherent, not applied<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3770\" data-end=\"4036\">The performance of EVO-FR\u2122 is inherent to the polymer itself rather than applied as a secondary treatment. The material is being developed to meet vertical burn, heat release and smoke density requirements under FAR\/CS 25.853, with further certification progressing.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4038\" data-end=\"4306\">Beyond fire performance, spacer textiles offer durability advantages over foam. Where open-cell foams can compress permanently or degrade over time, spacer fabrics retain form and regain, delivering more predictable comfort and potentially extending service intervals.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4308\" data-end=\"4551\">Heathcoat\u2019s patent-pending PEI-based EVO-FR\u2122 spacer textiles are positioned as a credible successor to foam in aircraft seating \u2013 offering a fundamentally different fire-response profile in one of the cabin\u2019s most established material systems.<\/p>\n<p>Contact <a href=\"mailto:spacetec@heathcoat.co.uk\">spacetec@heathcoat.co.uk<\/a> for further information.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beyond Foam: The Rise of Non-Melt Spacer Fabrics in Aircraft Seat Construction As aircraft interior programmes place increasing emphasis on fire safety, heat release and smoke density performance under FAR\/CS 25.853, attention is turning to a component long considered standard: polyurethane foam within seat construction. A new generation of flame-retardant 3D spacer textiles is now [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":41509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,283],"tags":[291,290,289,293,288,292],"class_list":["post-41506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-3","category-product-spotlight","tag-aerospace","tag-aircraft-interior","tag-evo-fr","tag-fire-safety","tag-pei","tag-seating"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fire-Safe Spacer Fabric for Next-Gen Aircraft Seating | Heathcoat Fabrics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the advantages of using a foam alternative like EVO-FR\u2122 for enhanced fire safety in aircraft interiors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.heathcoat.co.uk\/de\/beyond-foam\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fire-Safe Spacer Fabric for Next-Gen Aircraft Seating\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore the advantages of using a foam alternative like EVO-FR\u2122 for enhanced fire safety in aircraft interiors.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.heathcoat.co.uk\/de\/beyond-foam\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Heathcoat Fabrics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HeathcoatFabric\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-17T12:57:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-17T13:56:35+00:00\" 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