New livery printing process could offer advantages
Whale of a tail: Global Boeing teams develop first inkjet-printed, photo-realistic livery for Alaska Airlines 737-9.
BNN
Alaska Airlines unveiled a new “West Coast Wonders” livery this weekend on Instagram, with a photorealistic image of an orca whale on a 737-9’s vertical fin. Just as wondrous as the design, is the inkjet printing process being developed by Boeing to create it.
Boeing teams adapted the inkjet printing technology commonly used for documents to move from flat surfaces to precisely apply billions of dots of ink to curved surfaces using a rotatable, eight-axis print head.
“This new inkjet printing process takes what we will be able do to the next level, in terms of aircraft livery and image designs,” said Chip Frohlich, director of Advanced Manufacturing for Commercial Airplanes Product Development. “If the customer can imagine it, we will be able to deliver it – from solid colors to photos. Eventually, we could operate it similar to a car wash, without the multiples passes and cure cycles needed with traditional paint. Not only can the results be far more creative but we will have faster turnaround times and reduced costs.”
Traditionally, it takes three to 12 production days to paint liveries. With inkjet printing, the time required for image application will be reduced to just a couple of days, even for complex designs. The technology is not yet available for offer to customers, but the Alaska livery is an important step toward that.
Multiple Boeing teams worked together on a global scale to develop and refine the new inkjet image process, including India, Australia and several U.S. locations.
The technology is not yet available for offer to customers, but the Alaska livery is an important step toward that. (Eric Olson image)“The new automated inkjet printing process reduces time spent on each aircraft and improves safety by minimizing work at great heights,” said Matt Mellin, Boeing automation lead engineer. “It also provides better aerodynamics in flight, thanks to the elimination of paint steps and edges. In addition, with the reduction of up to 100 pounds [45 kilograms] of weight resulting from multiple paint layers being replaced by a single thin layer of ink, fuel efficiency is enhanced.”
The new process also prevents paint “bleeding” — every dot of ink stays in place.
“Conventional livery application processes are rate-limited by cycles of masking, paint application, and curing steps for each livery color,” noted Kjersta Larson-Smith, Technical Fellow in Boeing Research & Technology Chemical Technology. “With the inkjet technology, a layer of white basecoat serves as the canvas, all ink colors are then applied in a single step and a clear-coat layer is the finishing coat that provides durability and protection from the service environment.”
The simpler and environmentally preferred inkjet process also allows late-stage airplane customization and after-market support to be managed in a localized area, onsite, to further advance workflow.
Promoting concern for endangered whales in Puget Sound
The image that is featured on the Alaska Airlines “West Coast Wonders” livery was taken in the Puget Sound region of Washington by photographer and former Boeing employee Jane Cogan, as part of her work to promote concern for endangered whales in the area. Cogan teams with the Center for Whale Research and other groups and captured the striking image on one of the group’s research projects.
“Use of the photo on the Alaska Airlines tail represents an opportunity to promote concern for the endangered southern resident killer whale population and to offer suggestions on what we as individuals, families, and communities can do to help the whales,” Cogan said. “There is strength in numbers.”
Numerous cetaceans live in the Puget Sound area, including humpback whales, gray whales and iconic orca “killer” whales. The image on the Alaska Airlines tail is a variation of killer whale known as a southern resident and is endangered, with only 74 of its kind known to exist in the region as of Dec. 21.
Local research groups are working to study and mitigate the threats to the population, in particular their food supply, to enhance their wellbeing and ensure their survival.
By Brian Rantala
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