London-headquartered design studio Altea has been focusing recently on developing bespoke new galley inserts that are designed to store and protect delicate items such as flatware. The inserts utilise foams, leathers and fabrics to ensure such items remain quiet while stowed, as well as providing the luxury finish that is signature to Altea's designs.

Due to limited stowage space on board, extensive research is carried out beforehand to determine the best method of manufacture for the drawer inserts. 3D CAD software is used to scan the crockery's distinct shape, and from here the method of manufacture is decided; this could involve anything from water jet cutting of foam to 3D printing using the latest rapid prototype materials. The designs are then sent to high tech specialists along with Altea's traditional go-to leather masters, who can trim in leathers and man-made textiles.

“Operators and owners want their dedicated flatware and cutlery to fit perfectly into the purpose-built drawers. These spaces are quite often very small so sometimes we must get creative on how to use the space, which then dictates our method of manufacture and materials,” says partner Robin Dunlop.

In creating the inserts, the company must abide by certain design considerations to ensure they are safe for use on the aircraft. While Altea consistently utilises safety compliant décor materials, no specific testing is required for many of these types of items. Operators and owners frequently treat these products as carry on items.

The main challenge Altea faces in the design of galley inserts is the fluctuations in tolerance of other manufacturers. The chinaware industry works with fairly wide tolerances on the sizing of its products, which can create problems in fitting some items to the stowage space. To overcome this problem, Altea methodically 3D scans and measures each item, as well as the space required to store items nested together. This ensures the perfect fit that operators and owners are looking for.

The inserts are robust and designed to last for as long as the cabin interior itself or when the owner makes the decision to refurbish the aircraft. This is where Altea's retrofit service is utilised, and they can redesign the drawer inserts to fit any particular stowage space. Altea also designs other items that can be offered as a retrofit service to existing operators and owners, such as bespoke pillows with custom fabrics, blankets from the finest merino wools and coat hangers, hand stitched in leathers to match the cabin interior.