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Materials used for automotive interiors are changing due to the addition of PSIR integral systems. The placement of these PSIR invisible systems on the upper IP has introduced additional significant performance criteria, both safety and functional, on the materials being chosen for coverstocks. In this paper, the main new materials will be reviewed. This will include: vacuum formable TPO and PVC/ABS, slush moldable PVC, TPU, and TPOs, as well as spray polyurethane systems. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be discussed as well as testing data available.

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Textron Automotive has developed a new thermoplastic castable aliphatic urethane for an instrument panel with a seamless passenger side air bag on a 1998 North American vehicle. This material was developed to meet the increased temperature range demands for a top mount seamless or invisible passenger side air bag instrument panel. Traditional castable thermoplastic materials were developed to meet aesthetic requirements until the advent of passenger side air bags forced the instrument panel to become a functional component. Conventional coverstock materials cannot meet the -40°C and 120°C air bag deployment conditions that are proposed. This paper describes: the advantages of an invisible or seamless instrument panel; the new material performance requirements to meet the invisible PSIR requirements; the advantages of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) compared to current instrument panel materials.

This paper outlines the relationship between airbag door choices and instrument panel coverstock materials which are being used in the global automotive market for passenger vehicles as well as those materials that are being considered for use in future vehicles. The introduction of an invisible airbag door into the instrument panel is changing the material and testing requirements as safety and reliability are now key considerations. Increasing material options are available to meet these requirements. In this paper, we review the material options, processing methods available, advantages/disadvantages of each, and the current market status of the different materials.

The automotive industry has used field testing, namely Arizona and Florida proving grounds, to provide accelerated real life environmental exposure. This testing can require up to 2 years before results are complete. In order to provide a development tool to screen material composites, the industry has accepted certain laboratory testing that simulates the ultraviolet (UV) and heat exposures found during field testing. A study was done to review the correlation of color shift after ultraviolet and heat aging exposure to that measured after field exposures. This work found poor color shift correlation for the environmentally acceptable vinyl skin/urethane foam composites studied. A modified laboratory test was found to more closely simulate field results. This test combined long term heat aging with a short UV exposure for more accurate color predictions.

This paper outlines field performance shortcomings historically observed in automotive instrument panels (I/Ps) and discusses the role materials play in these deficiencies. Additionally, specific material development requirements for a ten year instrument panel are discussed. While design and the placement of adjacent vehicle components, such as windshield glass, play key roles in affecting the durability of an I/P, functional and cosmetic performance in large part depend on the materials chosen for construction. Tradeoffs in short term performance (processability during manufacture) and long term performance (field weatherability) often exist for the chemical constituents comprising instrument panel assemblies. In order to obtain an optimal combination of properties, specific performance criteria must be identified and prioritized.