Pianfei Compositi has an experience of 50 years in the aerospace sector and over 20 years in the railway sector. Pianfei Compositi, with the acquired “know-how”, is able to provide the best solution in meeting the strictest requirements and thus satisfying the most demanding customers, by choosing among the various technologies available in the most competitive conditions.
A brief description of the company and its activities.
Pianfei Compositi is a company specialized in composites, part of the AVIOINTERIORS GROUP having head-offices in Naples, Italy, and facilities in Latina, 70 km South of Rome.
The history of Pianfei is strictly related to the leading company of the Group, Aviointeriors SpA, designing and producing aircraft passenger seats since more than 50 years.
The product diversification enlarging the market to other aircraft cabin equipment as monuments, tables, galleys, lavatories and even complete interiors for VIP configurations have required the acquisition of specialty know-how for parts made by composites. Then the evolution of the seating product itself has enjoyed of the knowledge of technologies that has allowed the passage from simplest no frill economy class seats, typically requested by the low cost carriers, to the business class or first class seats normally required by long range airlines.
In this context Pianfei is playing the role of the specialty sub-tier member of the family, who delivers the composites parts to Aviointeriors as qualified supplier in its supply chain.
But, at the same time, Pianfei has its own organization, certified ISO 9001:2015, to design and manufacture products for all the markets where the composites could represent an added value, except aerospace because exclusively reserved to Aviointeriors activities. In particular Pianfei is a recognized supplier of seats and parts for rolling stocks, boats, and even furnishings for stores, department stores or hotels.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
To accommodate the requirements of its customers the areas of activity of Pianfei are typically shared in two main sectors:
- Aerospace activities fully dedicated to our exclusive Aviointeriors customer for which we produce parts under a “build-to-print” concept, for this kind of activity Pianfei is qualified by Aviointeriors, and regularly audited to maintain its qualifications, honored to being part of its qualified supplier list. In this activity Pianfei provides just labor, materials and production tools are furnished by the buyer.
- All other markets, where Pianfei is free to promote its own products fully designed and manufactured inside of its own organization, and finally delivered to the end customers with an ISO9001 certificate of conformity.
What’s the news about new products/services?
At Pianfei we are convinced that the railway market is just now at a turning point especially in the range of the passengers accommodation. The rail market is traditionally very conservative and the introduction of novelty products is really slow, but the evolution of collateral markets like commercial aviation is introducing new queries and desires of innovation because always more frequently passengers are passing seamlessly from one mean of transportation to another, and they compare and pretend to find the same level of comfort or even better.
Due to the Aviointeriors fifty years experience in making comfortable seating for airline passengers, in recent times, always more often, rolling stock manufacturers are approaching us in search of innovation, and we are convinced that the airline world can offer many comfort accommodations really innovative once applied to the railways world.
Of course, the products for the rolling stock have to be completely re-engineered in terms of structures and consistency, materials have to be changed for the different rules and specifications, but the seat concept in general is really innovative at the point to create a “wow” effect when seen first time.
That’s why Pianfei has planned to showcase its really new seat concepts at the next coming event, InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin Germany, where we will show a typical business class airline seat, “Allegra” model, with a mini suite applicable at the end of the car cabin, “Allegra Plus” model, for application on high speed trains giving the business passenger all the privacy and relax he deserves, even going to bed.
Moreover, Pianfei will exhibit an innovative sleeperette seat, “Synthesis” model, providing at reduced pitch the extra-comfort of a recliner seat, perfect for installation in night intercity trains.
What are the ranges of products/services.
We are working to introduce into the railways market airline seats of different level and classes, totally re-engineered, and sometimes even partially re-designed to serve specific arrangements typical of the rolling stock service, and in detail we are considering the following ranges of products:
Class Executive, for this top level we have a perfect product, “Diamond”, that still remains the best first class seat model ever designed and produced by Aviointeriors, and installed onboard the Airbus A340 fleet of Etihad, one of the top class airline of the world.
“Diamond” has been created exclusively following precise instructions coming directly from the desk of the Abu Dhabi Emir to enhance the customary Arab friendship allowing inter-relations among passengers during convivial moments, but at the same time featuring cocooning possibilities to deliver full privacy when desired by the passenger.
It has been certainly challenging to translate the airline seat into the rail seat trying to maintain the original spirit, but we can say that “Diamond” rail seat has nothing to regret in comparison.
Class First, for this level we propose the cabin environment now usually offered in long range flights, “Allegra” is the name of our seat model. It’s not just a seat, but a complete equipped space all around the seat enabling the passenger to having all the comfort he desires for the many activities he is willing to perform during his travel time, reading a book, playing a game on his personal device, watching a movie, having a snack or even a lunch/dinner, or simply having relaxation or even going to bed for a good sleep, everything is possible and perfectly accommodated by the cocoon space fully equipped at his exclusive service. Moreover, each individual seat is displaced with others providing a lay-out where all passengers are independent in reaching the aisle without any disturbance to the others.
Class First Plus, for this Premium level we propose a special version of the “Allegra” seat, that we have named “Allegra Plus”, where the cocooning effect can be further enhanced by providing higher partitions to give more privacy, and even a sliding door to secure the passenger in his own environment like an hotel room. This kind of accommodation is a good solution of space optimization at the two ends of the car.
Class Economy for Night Intercity Trains, for this level of service usually provided with sleepers compartments, we propose a sleeperette seat, our “Synthesis” seat, a recliner seat extremely comfortable with its backrest reclinable at wide angles and its leg rest foldable to allow the passenger any desired position to rest or to sleep. This model of seat is an airline Premium Economy, a real battle horse for comfortable long-range flights, the very same we propose for Night Intercity Trains, a simple and smart evolution on how to travel at night. Comfort is not only a matter to stay laid down in a sleeper, comfort means to stay comfortably in all moments of your travel since you take your seat at departure, then you need a dinner, maybe to watch a movie, then at destination definitively you need a breakfast, that’s why the comfort has to be measured on the entire travel time, and we believe that our sleeperette seat “Synthesis” is able to take the passenger full satisfaction when is able to reach his destination fresh and relaxed.
What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
Pianfei believes that current state-of-the-art of the railways seat market is static since decades, the current seat structure is originated by the compartments that were splitting the car years ago, the only way to move the backrest in that situation is by tilting it and moving forward the bottom cushion, but so doing the passenger body looses all points of contact with the seat by creating a discomfort interface for the passenger. It’s strange to say, but till now when compartments have disappeared, rail seats are the same concept as before.
Different is the case of the fully open aircraft cabins where seats are placed one after the other, so the design of seats provides an ergonomic interface to the passenger body granted by the backrest recline movement. The state-of-the-art seat production technologies, that allow slimmer seat structures, so reducing significantly the invasion of the front seat over the knees of the behind seated passenger, have contributed to reach an optimum ratio between seat pitch and space available to the passenger.
Pianfei would like to export this high level of comfort from aircraft to train.
What can you tell us about market trends?
People Republic of China is now the front edge of how the high speed trains travel is organized, the new reality of CRRC in the last 15 years has shown progress and comfort of the rail travel business creating a new reference for the world market.
In the 2009 Rail Interiors, the rail company into the Aviointeriors group, then re-named Pianfei Compositi, has been able to conclude positively, after three years only, the Know-How Transfer Contract to CRC, the industrial division of CRRC, by creating in ChangChun PRC a replica of its Latina Italy factory to manufacture cabin interiors made by composites.
The above Know-How Transfer has been ruled within the timeframe of a wider contract involving Alstom as a supplier to CRRC of 60 trains high speed running at 350 kmh.
Since those days CRRC has made great strides in terms of rail technology and travel innovation becoming in few years the world benchmark on how to travel by rail with comfort and efficiency.
Without any historical background for CRRC the airline market has represented immediately the correct term of reference where to start.
The way to travel by rail in China is really an adaptation in a different environment of what the business airline passenger is experiencing on board of a flight.
The seat is not just a seat, but a complex system to assist and provide all necessary support to the passenger needs when he travel from a point to another point taking charge of all his requirements to reach his destination fresh and relaxed, from the welcome drink through any possible entertainment, relaxation or sleep, to the breakfast or lunch/dinner, always having his seat playing a multitasking role essential to granting the best satisfaction.
Pianfei strongly believes in a future of fast move of people in an integrated system where the transportation mean represents the best selection in an array of offerings, each one calibrated to reduce costs in a sustainable way by maximizing the pleasure of the travel.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
Impossible to just describe by words, Pianfei will showcase all its front edge products at the imminent InnoTrans 2024 expo in Berlin Germany next September 24-27, worldwide recognized as the largest stage for innovative products every two years.
Pianfei will exhibit first time Synthesis, Allegra and Allegra Plus seats. The organizers of the expo have inserted Pianfei stand in two special routes for visitors:
- TCCS (Travel Catering & Comfort Services),
- World Premiere in the InnoTrans World Innovation Guide.
This means that all Expo media will show the path to pay a visit to our booth to try and verify in reality the products, and the same stand will be acknowledged by a recognizable emblem so interested visitors are encouraged and directed to come and see.
What estimations do you have for 2024
Innovation is not something you can realize in a snap of fingers, a program to develop the proposed new products, design, engineering, tests, and finally production, delivery to the operator, then commissioning will take at least twelve months since the go ahead sign of a visionary customer. We strongly hope that 2026 will become the sunrise of a new era in the European way of travel by train.