Textiles in Automotive Engineering

A variety of textile components are used in cars today, from tires, hoses and belts to carpets, seats and airbags. This new text provides a detailed guide and reference to all automotive textiles and applications, including fibers and fabrics, component design, production and finishing methods, and performance in specific applications. The presentation and content serve the practical information needs of all those involved in the development, design, production, evaluation, and selection of these materials and components. In addition to thorough coverage of all automotive textile materials and applications, chapters also present current information on several related special topics, such as environmental concerns and health and safety aspects. One chapter examines current developments and trends in automotive textiles that help identify future developments in this applications area. Another chapter provides a detailed guide to information sources in this field. The text is carefully organized for convenient reference and supplemented with more than 90 photographs, diagrams and other schematics that illustrate production and finishing methods and machinery, materials structure, component design, and applications. The hundreds of references and suggestions for further reading provide an extensive database on the literature of this subject. A glossary provides definitions of words and terms in this field and a detailed index enables easy look-up of needed information.