Parts from Saxony-Anhalt fly along with Boeing and Airbus: Bitterfeld-based P-D Aircraft Interior GmbH produces for world market leader
The enterprise was established a year ago. Twenty employees working in a large hall on the premises of the P-D Chemical Park Bitterfeld-Wolfen produce the most varying structural components for aircraft cabins from fibreglass fabrics and plastics with the aid of moulds and presses. These components later become kitchens, toilets, cabinets, bars, interior linings and much more.
CEO Lux comes from Jeber-Bergfrieden, an urban district of Coswig in the Wittenberg administrative district. The 36 year-old executive remembers tinkering on the assembly kits of up to 70 aircraft models as a little boy. Since he worked together during his apprenticeship at the Junkalor works in Dessau with men who had still bolted together aircraft in former times, he ultimately dreamed of a profession in the aircraft industry. This dream was fulfilled when Lux started working with Airbus Deutschland GmbH in Hamburg. He worked there for ten years, completed a degree as a graduate engineer for aerospace engineering, advanced to top manager and helped the super-jumbo A 380 to fly after this aircraft fell into a state of crisis in 2006. The cabin specialist reports that he worked abroad on all continents except in Africa for eight of the ten years with Airbus.
Cabin components consist of several layers of fibreglass fabrics coated with plastic which are pressed and moulded under pressure and heat into very stable but extremely light materials. “Weight is the name of the game in aircraft construction. Every gram too much has an effect on costs, including price with regard to passengers”, calculates the entrepreneur.
According to Lux, there are about 20 outfitters of aircraft cabins in the world. It is customary that they purchase and process the fibreglass fabrics. Lux realised that an early influence at the start of the production chain of fibreglass fabrics already has significant effects on the fire behaviour, formation of flue gas, static behaviour, weight and costs.
Lux ultimately attributes the fact that he finally arrived in the old homeland with this idea to the good conditions at the P-D Chemical Park Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Saxony-Anhalt. He could have also landed in another part of Germany or overseas, because there he also had offers to actualise his idea. After all, they render cost advantages of ten to 20 percent in comparison with the conventional mode of production, explains Lux. The outstanding infrastructure, the proximity to the Preiss-Daimler Group, the world market leader in the production of fibreglass fabrics, the well-developed transport network, the nearby motorways and the rapidly accessible Leipzig/Halle Airport had tipped the balance in favour of Saxony-Anhalt.
Apart from Lux and in addition to the P-D Group CEO Heinz-Jürgen Preiss-Daimler as a private individual, three other entrepreneurs were involved in the formation of the company. They all look ahead optimistically. The fledgling company entered into a longstanding partnership agreement with one of the most important worldwide aircraft outfitters, the Diehl Aircabin GmbH in Laupheim (Baden-Württemberg). The enterprises based in Laupheim and Bitterfeld not only want to outfit cabins, but also collectively research and introduce new products and technologies. “Our share in the world market is still small”, says Lux, who moved back to Coswig with his family. “But we are growing – slowly, but continually!”
According to Lux’s statements, about 20,000 medium-range and long-range aircraft will be built around the world by 2025. There may well be much to provide for the revivers of the aviation industry in Saxony-Anhalt. But Lux can also well imagine that the sandwich materials manufactured from several layers of aircraft interiors will be installed in cars, railway vehicles or wind power stations.
Contact:
Aircraft Interior GmbH
Zörbiger Str. 22
06749 Bitterfeld-Wolfen
Germany
0049 349372488
0049 349372817
www.pd-aircraft-interior.com
pd-aircraft-interior@1pda.de