Andrew Muirhead - Flame Retardant and Heat Release Aviation Leather

Andrew Muirhead has been manufacturing quality flame retardant leather for more than 160 years and is today one of the major suppliers to the aviation, automotive, marine, rail and contract furnishing and design industries worldwide.

Since the company was founded, it has been committed to providing the skills and technical expertise to ensure that customer needs are answered - every time.

The aviation market has very specialised demands and Andrew Muirhead is leading the international market, with more than 150 airlines in over 45 countries fitted with Andrew Muirhead leather.

IN-HOUSE DEVELOPED FLAME RETARDANT LEATHER

Flame retardant leather, developed in-house, provides comfortable, durable seating for millions of airline passengers flying upper class, business class and economy.

Andrew Muirhead's vast library of leather of more than 150 shades, textures and finishes, represents the industry's most comprehensive in-stock collection yet.

In addition to these, Andrew Muirhead also produces bespoke matchings where a particular colour, texture or combination is required. The company also operates a next day delivery system and has the capacity to meet bulk orders as well as the flexibility to deal with small but highly specific needs.

HEAT RELEASE LEATHER

Andrew Muirhead, has developed a new fire retardant process -pYrotects air system- for heat release leather.

pYrotects air system is an innovative series of processes which, when applied to the leather, form a flammability system to prevent surface spread of flame and reduce smoke density. It will enable Muirhead to satisfy the requirements of airlines and seat manufacturers alike for compliant heat release leather products on the new generation of first and business class seating and composite structures.

With products that are used widely in the aviation industry where flame retardancy is an issue, Muirhead is heavily involved in the manufacture of fire resistant, low smoke density and low toxicity upholstery material.

FLAME RETARDANT LEATHERS

Muirhead offers leading-edge flame retardant leathers which are soft and natural looking. Its sateen and orkney leathers have both been treated with the company's firewall barrier system to meet airworthy flame proofing standards. These products can be used with low density foam without the need for additional fire block layers.

Developed in-house at its own burn test facility, the system is a complex process which has an integrated protective barrier against fire. And as the facility is on site, the company's dedicated in-house team of chemists and leather technicians are able to refine, improve and future proof their tests on a continual basis.

Specific tests include surface spread of flame, kerosene burn flame tests, heat release and smoke density and toxicity testing.

LIGHTWEIGHT LEATHER CONFORMING TO ALL CAA AND FAA STANDARDS

Fly high with a lightweight leather option from Andrew Muirhead, the world's leading supplier of quality upholstery leather to the aviation industry.

Ideal for airlines wishing to reduce weight ratios to combat increasing fuel costs, Muirhead's 'Fly Weight' leather is lighter than other aircraft interior leather options.

Fly Weight still has all the properties and durability of heavier weight aircraft interior leathers. This is a particularly important consideration as fuel prices continue to increase and airlines look at various ways of reducing carrier weight.

Available in all colours, the 0.8mm leather also conforms to all CAA and FAA standards.

SPECIFICATION AND TESTING: WE ARE A BOEING AND AIRBUS APPROVED LEATHER SUPPLIER

In addition to a combination burn test facility, Andrew Muirhead have a smoke emission and toxicity chamber for testing products to meet the Airbus directive ADB0031 and a cone calorimeter for testing heat release applications.

The company also operates an integrated management system for ISO 9000:2000 and ISO14001:1996 and the company is the only leather supplier to be both Boeing and Airbus approved.