Lufthansa Catering Logistik serves the entire airline industry with in-flight equipment and logistics systems, including complete catering systems. Catering centers in 75 countries serve as the interface between LCL and its airline customers, preparing meals for more than 56 million passengers a year.

Traditionally, food and beverage trolley drawers were made with transparent polycarbonate since introduced in the 1970’s. At the time, the combination of low weight, stiffness and “see through” optical performance made polycarbonate a good alternative to aluminum. However, a major drawback was drawer breakage due to the aggressive chemicals and hot water used for cleaning, which weakened the plastic and led to stress cracking and damage through rough handling.

With a 70 percent replacement rate, shortage of polycarbonate and its escalating price caused the company to search for an alternative material.

Solution:

Based on the performance/cost matrix, a metallocene PP clarified with Milliken’s Millad® 3988 was found to have an optimum balance of the desired performance criteria.

Result:

The company investment for the new mold was paid back in two months. In addition, raw material costs are lower due to weight reduction in the drawer and lower procurement prices. LCL sold more than 160,000 drawers to more than 40 airlines during the first 18 months of the launch.