A pultrusion has been designed to substitute two different aluminum sections in Fokker 100 interior support structure. Pultrusion is a cost-effective method for producing continuous fiber reinforced sections. The total weight reduction of 11·2 kg per aircraft was the main reason for the redesigns. They are cost-effective and are presently being implemented. One aluminum section is directly substituted by the pultrusion. The other, more complicated section, is substituted by the same pultrusion in combination with an injection molded bracket. The design of the pultrusion was a challenge because tight dimensional tolerances and the use of fabric reinforcement were required. A finite element calculation was done to check the effectiveness of the fabric. The quality of production articles is checked with product requirements. This design case is an example of co-makership, in which the manufacturer and the contractor worked together in obtaining a cost-effective product which fulfills all requirements. Presently new sections are being designed using continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.
