Five students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (FT) Universitas Indonesia (UI) succeeded in creating sustainable aircraft material innovations. Together as the KUTECH ENGINEERING team, they use the natural material sisal fiber as a more environmentally friendly alternative to replace the use of carbon and glass in aircraft interiors.
Under the guidance of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Nandy Setiadi Djaya, Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, FTUI, this innovative team consists of Josiah Enrico Syefatiawan, Dhifan Kemal Akbar, Revaldy Putra Agatha, Yasmine Karenita Siregar (Class of 2019) and Soultan Aliefiansyah (Class of 2020).
Josiah Enrico Syefatiawan, a member of the KUTECH ENGINEERING team said, “This idea emerged because we felt the need to develop technology that supports sustainability in the aviation industry. We are looking for alternative solutions in aircraft materials by utilizing natural materials such as sisal fiber which has potential as a reinforcement for polymer composites. Beyond its function for traditional tools, sisal fiber has the potential to be used as a material in the aircraft and automotive industries.”
Sisal (Agave Sisalana) is a plant that produces natural fiber of great potential with the advantages of strong fiber, resistant to high salt levels, renewable and environmentally friendly. The fiber extracted from Agave Sisalana leaves is also known as sisal fiber. Initially, sisal fiber was widely used to make ropes, such as ropes for tying tobacco leaves in Madura and jute sacks for packaging agricultural products. However, natural sisal fiber currently can be applied more widely, including for household industrial purposes and even car interior components.
“The use of sisal fiber has the advantage of being light, fire resistant, and strong. With these characteristics, sisal fiber is able to replace materials such as carbon fiber and glass fiber which require large energy consumption in the manufacturing process and are difficult to recycle. The hope is that the use of sisal fiber material will reduce the production costs of aircraft interior panels and significantly increase the sustainability aspect in aviation technology,” said Dhifan Kemal Akbar.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU. fully supports the innovation of the students of the Mechanical Engineering Department. He stated, “Utilization of natural materials is a very relevant opportunity to support industrial development, especially in the aerospace sector. In the current era, which emphasizes the importance of sustainability aspects, this idea can hopefully become an alternative in making airplanes. The innovations brought forward by FTUI students make a significant contribution in creating sustainable solutions in the aviation industry.”
This innovation by UI students proves that innovative and environmentally friendly solutions can play a key role in the transformation of the aviation industry. Furthermore, this discovery provides an opportunity for aircraft manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint and utilize more sustainable materials in future aircraft production.
