Nonwoven Materials - Creating A Crucial Place In Automotive Industry

There is no doubt that the use of nonwovens has greatly increased in recent years. As per the experts, more than 35 automotive parts are created using nonwoven fabric. Such textiles are made using long fibers combined together by solvent, heat, mechanical, and chemical treatment. Even though nonwoven fibers are weaker compared to woven material, they can be easily densified and toughened by backing. 

They can lower the care weight, offer better insulation and increase the aesthetics as well as comfort. Besides, different studies have proved that nonwoven textiles are soft, washable, fire retardancy, resistant to fuels, extreme temperatures and more. By combining with other materials, you can change the properties of nonwovens based on your requirements. 

In combination with other materials, they provide a variety of products with different properties. Therefore, there are several applications for nonwoven textiles, such as automotive textiles, home textiles, sports textiles, geotextiles etc.

Use of Nonwoven in the Global Automotive Industry

With time, needled, spun-bonded, composite and spun-laced nonwoven materials are getting popular in the automotive industry, and they can be used for different parts. You can opt for nonwoven made of natural fibers, nylon, polypropylene or polyester. The best part is that these materials can be easily optimized to meet all the required automotive standards. Some of the major applications of nonwovens in automotive are:

• Carpet 

Carpet is a crucial part of every vehicle's interior. They are generally fabricated using needle tufting or felting. Primarily, polyester or a combination of polyester or nylon is utilized to make carpet backing in cars. In some countries, car manufacturers use viscous-elastic polyurethane foam for backing, and some manufacturers use cotton pads. Nonwovens are getting popular for carpet making due to their physical and acoustic properties. 

• Vehicle Seats

Seats are the first thing that a customer will notice and touch when they open the car's doors. Earlier, polyurethane foam was utilized to make seat coverings. But things have changed, and for making seats and cover cushions and laminate, vehicle manufacturers are using nonwoven polyester. These seats feel more comfortable. 

• Headliner

Nonwovens can also be used for headliners. Headliners cover the roof inside the vehicle. It is created using a composite material along with a face fabric with a nonwoven backing. Such materials feel good, support a good level of stiffness and can absorb sound. 

• Air Filters 

Nowadays, you can easily find nonwoven filters. While nonwoven filters are not that popular in this industry, more research is being conducted due to their amazing absorbance ability. Some air filters come with reinforced activated carbon and nonwoven polypropylene. As there is activated carbon, it can enhance the absorption of the fabric, which can lead to an effective filter. Some nonwoven materials also support odor as well as particle filtration ability.

Market Reports

In recent years, the applications of nonwoven materials in the global automotive industry have increased. From making trunk liners to fuel filters or cabin air filters, such materials are being used to make more than 40 automotive parts. If you consider the European market, you will notice a major increase in the utilization of nonwoven fabrics compared to the total light vehicle and cars produced between 2018 to 2021. The rate has increased by around 25 percent. This demonstrates the increasing usage of nonwoven material in vehicles. 

It has been seen that most well-known vehicle manufacturers have begun investing in nonwoven fibers, supporting the growth of the nonwoven market. For example, under shields as well as wheel-archs created using nonwovens are now very common in the automotive industry. These dense needle-punched products are now gradually replacing heavier PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride layers. And this is a safe and durable way to lower the weight of a vehicle. Automotive producers, such as Porsche, BMW, Audi, Bentley and more, have now shifted to nonwovens to make under shields. On the other hand, nonwovens made of recycled carbon fibers are now enjoying more popularity. 

Final Words

Nonwovens can be designed to offer the right amount of BSR reduction, adhesion, reinforcement as well as conformability. If you have a business that produces car parts such as pillars, door panels, etc., then you can enjoy more benefits by opting for nonwoven materials. They are affordable and cost-effective.