Customizable Automotive Headliner Foam for Your Applications

Automotive headliner foam is an example of how adhesives and lamination subtly improve our lives. Most people might not usually think about how important automotive headliners are. But it’s very noticeable when headliner foam isn’t doing its job, which means that quality manufacturing standards are crucial.

To ensure that every vehicle is equipped with the right headliner, you need a contract manufacturer with the right capacities. We’re going to talk today about why CTI is the company best equipped to help you create custom automotive headliners. But to start, let’s review the most important information.

The Purpose of Headliner Foam

All modern passenger vehicles have headliners, padded surfaces of foam backed fabric that cover the interior of the vehicle’s roof. What’s so important about headliner fabric, anyway? It performs important functions such as:

Protects people’s heads from impacts against the roof
Helps prevent moisture from accumulating in the vehicle
Hides and protects wiring on the vehicle’s ceiling
Provides a better look than a bare metal or fiberglass roof

Thus, it’s easy to understand why a damaged headliner in someone’s vehicle can quickly become a major annoyance or even a hazard

To start, damaged headliners can allow moisture into the vehicle, where it can build up and wreak havoc. A headliner that flaps around can be a major distraction for the driver or might even obstruct their vision. And if the headliner exposes the vehicle’s wiring, it could become an electrical hazard.

What is Automotive Headliner Foam Made From?

Now that we’ve reviewed the purpose of automotive headliner foam, let’s look at how it accomplishes its goals. To perform the functions it’s intended for, headliner foam needs a multi-layered structure. The top layer of the headliner (the one that’s visible inside the car) is known as the face fabric. Typically, this is a tricot fabric of some kind.

Behind the face fabric is one or more substrate layers of a foam material, usually polyurethane foam. A manufacturer applies an adhesive coating to these layers that allows them to stick together. The next step is to apply pressure and/or heat to the layers in a laminating machine. This creates a durable bond between the layers.

Finally, when it’s time to actually apply the headliner the auto manufacturer glues the headliner board onto the roof of the car. The manufacturer finishes up by adding trim to beautify the vehicle and help keep the headliner in place.

Customizing Automotive Headliner Foam

CTI works with multiple leading names in the automotive industry to produce custom automotive headliners. Our automotive clients trust our state-of-the-art technology and our expertise to cut and laminate headliners that meet their needs exactly.

We provide contract and toll manufacturing services to offer you the automotive foam you need, when you need it. CTI’s expert conversion manufacturing pros have a complete range of tools to coat, laminate, cut, and shape a headliner. These include hot roll laminating machines, fabric cutting machines, custom slitting reels, and many other options.

CTI has decades of experience, including developing the very first pre-applied adhesive fabric for automotive headliners. That also means that our experts are happy to take on challenging projects and help our customers devise innovative solutions. We’ve tackled tough manufacturing problems for the biggest names in the industry, and we can do it for you, too!

Ready to make a plan with CTI to produce your custom automotive headliners or other rolled goods? Let’s get started! Call CTI at 419-924-5566 to set up a free consultation, or request your free quote online now.

Why Choose CTI?

If you’re still not sure if we’re the right fit, consider why we are one of the industry leaders.

A Personalized Approach to Service

What sets us apart is our dedication and commitment to customer service and satisfaction. In order to ensure each client has a positive experience, we created a customized five-step process which includes:

Initial Consultation—This is where our capabilities are aligned with the client’s vision. This initial consultation helps everyone get on the same page from the very beginning, saving time throughout the entire manufacturing process.
Research & Development—While it’s often cost-prohibitive to test new ideas, as a client, you have access to use our equipment and facilities to test different materials or techniques. This is a huge factor in making sure you have the best, most efficient product possible.
Lab Testing/Sample—A sample is a great way to evaluate whether a product will work or not. Likewise, it’s is a fantastic way to preview the final product, by holding the real thing, which is why we have the ability to provide a sample at any stage throughout the process. Depending on the materials used, samples come at a minimal to non-existent cost.
Pilot Run—It is crucial to ensure everything runs smoothly and to conduct a pilot run to work out any unforeseen challenges. This is why we always conduct a pilot run on every project. This saves a lot of time and money in the long run. This is just one of the many ways our commitment to excellence is evident.
Production—After the first four steps are completed, the last stage begins. This is often the least stressful and most exciting stage thanks to our unique five-step process.

Hands-On So Clients Can Be Hands-Off

Our experts have years of experience and understand the challenges present during the manufacturing process, which is why all employees are well-versed in problem-solving and proactively plan to account for any obstacles that may arise. A self-sufficient process is key so that you don’t have to spend valuable time keeping up with the project. This convenience, in addition to our technology and expertise is just the icing on the cake. After a client describes their needs, timeline, and specifications during the initial stages, we can take over so you can get back to doing what you do best…running your business.

Clients also benefit from saving money by not having to invest in new capabilities themselves. This invaluable resource also saves clients time and energy. Conversion Technologies’ experts are hands-on, so you don’t have to be. However, once production is complete, we can still be of tremendous value. If you need someone to step in as a crucial piece of the supply chain, we can do just that. Options include handling delivery of a client’s semi-finished goods or even returning goods back to the client to handle distribution. However, if you need post-production assistance, we can step in and help with the distribution process and ship finished products.

Quality Service Delivered On Time!

When a customer needs a quality service, delivered on time and within budget, CTI can deliver on every level.

Every client receives a customized approach to their project, no matter the size. It is easy to contact Conversion Technologies for more information by filling out our easy-to-use quote form for a free, no-obligation quote.

So, what are you waiting for? Give the experts a call today at 419-924-5566.