FUNG & HARDCASTLE: TEXTILES IN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING (2001)

Permission granted by Woodhead Publishing

Authors' Biography

“Walter Fung has worked in the textiles industry since 1965 when he joined Courtaulds Research Division. He was a technical specialist in dyeing, finishing, coating and lamination of fabrics and was involved in research, development and technical service to both sales and production. In 1989 he transferred to Courtaulds Textiles Automotive Products, now Collins and Aikman Automotive Fabrics Ltd.

Mike Hardcastle is a Fellow of the Textile Institute and an Honorary MA of Huddersfield University. He has over 40 years’ experience in textile technology, design, development and sales with more than 15 years’ experience in automotive textiles with Courtaulds Textiles where he has held posts of design and product development director in relation to automotive textile trim products. He has also been closely involved with university liaison and design education during this time.

Introduction: Nancy Powell, Associate Professor, NCSU College of Textiles

Based on first hand experience and thorough research the authors have accomplished their intention to provide both a reference and an instructive text for all who want to learn more about the field. This straightforward primer covers the development supply chain from fibers to finished interior textile components including environmental issues.

This expansive book of knowledge on automotive decorative and technical textiles will be of interest to both designers and engineers at every point along the supply chain and for academic research.

Covering various fabric formation technologies with clear illustrations, the authors provide detailed explanations for specific automotive applications. Quality concerns and testing for strict performance standards are organized in a logical manner.

Each chapter concludes with an extensive list of references and suggestions for further reading. Recommendations for organizations and conferences supplement the reader’s interests.

Textiles used in the various forms of transportation are considered the largest volume technical textiles. Key issues in producing these textiles are presented with an appreciation for the influence of style and color in interior trim on the perception and eventual success of the vehicle.

Each of the co-authors has over 40 years experience in textiles and continue to gain expertise in researching and developing new textile products through writing and consulting.

Excerpt: Chapter 10: Future Development and Outlook

The two main factors likely to continue to influence research and development in the automobile industry for the foreseeable future are, the environment and the control of cost. The textile industry can contribute to the environment by introducing lighter weight fabrics and devising ways of facilitating recycling of car components. Textile recycling poses a challenge because the textile face fabric is usually inseparably joined to another material, which is generally chemically dissimilar. The use of a textile to replace this other material to help reduce the number of chemical types and hence facilitate recycling, presents opportunities. However the most significant way in which textiles are likely to contribute to a better environment is via composite materials which replace heavier metals and significantly reduce the weight of road vehicles.

Cost is being driven down by commercial factors, such as company mergers, joint ventures and the economies of large-scale production and purchasing. Technology is contributing by development of novel production methods, which combine two or more processes into one. These new techniques, which increase efficiency also reduce human error and provide more consistent quality, will continue to be developed and improved. New high-performance materials being developed by fibre and chemical companies, such as the ultra-high-strength polyethylene fibre and the thermoplastic polyolefin foils, present further opportunities to innovate in both products and production techniques. Advances in information technology and communications are also contributing to reduced costs and better efficiency.

A third factor driving development in the automobile industry at present is safety. Safety features represent the biggest single growth area in technical textiles at the present time but they add to the cost of the car. However OEMs in the USA in particular have no choice, because they are a requirement of federal law. Developments in the USA influence practice in the rest of the world, especially in the global automotive industry and airbags are becoming standard features in European cars, even though at the moment, legislation does not make them compulsory. There is opportunity for substantial growth in side-impact safety devices world-wide. Side-impact devices are already in new cars in the USA but protection for the ‘full continuum of passengers’ is likely to become a further requirement of US federal law.This means effective protection for a whole family of two adults and three children.

Product innovation will continue to play a very important role as OEMs compete to provide better value for money and gain sales advantage by offering something different and more advanced than their competitors. This is no easy task because of the extremely high requirements of product durability not to mention the ever present restrictions of tight cost control, which make the acceptance of additional products or features by the OEMs very difficult. However technical advancement is inevitable not only in the automobile industry but in every department of human activity. Technical advances in other industries will influence developments in the automobile sector, for example the development of synthetic fibres and advanced composites, while product development specifically tailored for the motor car will continue, because of the high volumes and potential reward.