285Textiles in Automobiles
© 2008 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
the roof. As well as covering the metal, the unit also hides wiring
and curtain air bags. They also act as carriers for other components
such as storage boxes and overhead lighting. Important require-
ments of headliners are lightweight; thin prole but rigid without
any tendency to buckle, ex, or vibrate; directional stability; aesthet-
ically pleasing; and soft in touch.
Headliner consists of two core materials: the substrate (which can
be something as basic as cardboard, but it is normally PU or another
polymer impregnated with glass bers for strength and stiffness)
and the facing fabric. In European vehicles, PU-based headliners
are used while in North America, PU is joined by ...