[Avionics Today June, 18, 2014] Thales Avionics has selected Astro-Med to provide flight deck printers for the extended range version of the Airbus A330 and A340 passenger jets. Under a new agreement between the two companies, Astro-Med will supply its ToughWriter 5 printer for the two Airbus programs.
While the long-range version of the A330 is currently in production, the printers will be added as retrofits for the A340. Certification testing on the printers will begin later this year for both the A330 and A340, according to Astro-Med.
Astro-Med CEO Gregory Woods said recent industry demand for the ToughWriter 5, first introduced in 2010, has been "enthusiastic." In 2013 the company signed a long-term manufacturing and life-cycle support agreement to produce the ToughWriter 5 as an option for Honeywell’s Primus Epic flight deck, which Astro-Med anticipates will yield demand for 150 printers per year.