A seat cover protects a car, truck or SUV’s interior upholstery from accidental spills and dirt. It also prevents crumbs and pet hair from sticking to the seat fabric. It’s a good idea for drivers with kids or pets, as well as those who want to keep their vehicle’s upholstery looking new.
Seat covers are manufactured from a wide variety of materials, including vinyl, neoprene, leather and polyester. They can be made to match the original upholstery for a factory look or they can be used in complementary colors to spruce up and personalize a vehicle’s interior.
Mechanical durability is the main factor in selecting materials for car seat covers. Key attributes include fabric tear strength, tensile strength and abrasion resistance. In addition, a cover must have good water resistance and breathability, as well as excellent seam integrity.
To ensure that a car seat cover can withstand the test of time, manufacturers must pay close attention to the selection of materials and production processes. For example, the choice of yarn type and fiber construction can significantly impact the fabric’s performance. Woven fabrics tend to have a greater strength and abrasion resistance than knit fabrics, but they have less stretch and are thus more difficult to incorporate into seat cover laminates.
Some automotive fabric manufacturers use the foam-in-place technique, in which they enclose the car seat in a bag and pour liquid foam components inside. This allows them to reduce the amount of cutting and sewing and ensures that the fabric cover laminate is correctly fitted to the seat foam cushion.