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Contributed to the design and certification of a new middle dividing table for Safran’s flagship economy seat. The table gives each of two adjacent passengers a dedicated, stowable surface, improving personal space and enabling airlines to sell some front rows as a “premium economy light” upgrade. I led design iterations, quick prototypes, validation, and created an animation for the airline client. The product is now in serial production with zero FAI errors.
Task
Validate a complex aerospace product from concept to serial production.
Proposed multiple novel mechanical architectures and transformed a passenger experience concept into a certifiable, manufacturable dividing table using CATIA V5 and DMU.
Participated in DFM/DFA from prototype to serial and reduced part count by 14% and assembly steps by 20%, eliminating line rework.
Drove certification with 0% errors – completed FMEA, 16G, HIC, and flammability tests across 3 prototype iterations. Zero FAI errors, zero engineering change requests.
Built client animation 60‑second explainer (Blender +AI (Comfy UI) used by the airline to explain the new seat feature to their cabin crew.
“0% FAI errors and 0% ECR across 10 Safran projects – this dividing table was one of them.”
Economy class passengers seated in the middle row have no shared divider – armrests are narrow, and there is no dedicated surface for a drink or personal item without intruding on the neighbour’s space.
For airlines:
No way to upsell the middle row without installing a full premium seat.
Existing “fixed armrest table” concepts added weight (+1.2 kg) and failed HIC tests.
Specific requirements for the seat:
Must work on three different economy seat frames (same heritage, different attachment points).
Must not increase seat weight beyond +0.3 kg per passenger.
Must pass 16G dynamic, HIC, and flammability on first attempt.
Phase 1 – Concept & trade‑offs
- Participated in brainstorming with stress, industrialisation, and suppliers.
Compared 4 concepts and patented the best solution.
Phase 2 – Detailed design & simulation
Modelled in CATIA V5, full Digital Mock‑Up (DMU) to check interference with seatback screens and armrests.
Ran FEA on latch mechanism and hinge – optimised thickness to survive 16G without plastic deformation.
FMEA: identified sharp‑edge risk on opening (severity 7 → 2 after adding radius and spring‑assisted slow open).
Phase 3 – Validation & certification
Coordinated 3 prototype rounds.
16G dynamic test (pass – no fracture, no latch opening)
HIC test (head strike on deployed table – pass, HIC < 1000)
Flammability (OSU 65/65 – pass, material self‑extinguishing)
Built compliance matrix for CS‑25 / FAR 25, ETSO, Boeing and Airbus X25 / D6XXX.
Achieved a modular design that fits all three seat frames (tested number of installation/removal cycles).
Phase 4 – Production handover & client animation
Delivered 2D GD&T drawings, assembly instructions, and inspection plans.
Created an animated exploded view (Blender) to:
Train assembly line operators. and cabin crew.
Show the airline’s marketing team how the table works for passenger upsell.
| below airline target of +3 kg |
On‑time delivery to final assembly
Reduced from 42 to 36 parts
No First Article Inspection (FAI) errors or ECR engineering change requests
“The dividing table is now a paid upgrade option on the economy class Seats for the airlines. sold as “Extra Space Row” with a dedicated personal table. First order placed for (confidential number) of seats..”
CATIA V5, DMU, GD&T
DFM, DFA,
FEA (hinge, latch, 16G load path)
FEMEA / AMDEC
Worked with stress, industrialisation, external test labs, and suppliers
Mentored 2 junior designers on DFM (both promoted within 12 months)
Presented to airline client’s engineering + marketing teams using 3D animation
Agile team management
CS‑25 / FAR 25, ETSO, flammability (OSU 65/65)
16G dynamic test, HIC test
FMEA (design & process)
Compliance matrix, test report writing
Blender + AI workflow (client animation, operator training)
Smarteam PLM (revision control, change management)
VR/AR design reviews (reduced cycle time by 33%, Safran Digital Transformation Award 2024)