The importance of automotive textiles which have a wide range of usage from carpets to furnishings and from safety belts to airbags is increasing day by day. Since the quality of the textile product used directly affects the quality of the automobile, the expectations of the automotive sector from the textile products increase constantly. One of the most sensitive companies in this respect is Toyota. Being one of the biggest 10 factories of Toyota out of Japan with its annual production capacity of 150 thousand cars, Toyota Otomativ Sanayi Türkiye A.Ş. exports a great part of its production to more than 50 countries located in Europe, Northern Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasus.
Orhan Özer, General Director and CEO of Toyota Turkey which is also one of the biggest production companies of Turkey, answered the questions of our magazine group with respect to the textile products used in the automotive industry.
Target Client is Important
Stating that there are mainly 3 types of textile products in the automotive industry, Orhan Özer said that these are woven, nonwoven and knitted products and added: “Decision is taken on which textile products will be used considering the technical requirements as well as the profile and expectations of the target clients.” Özer stated that they use nonwoven products in the ceiling coverings and unseen parts of the seats in B and C segment vehicles, woven products in the seat and door coverings and knitted fabrics in the ceiling coverings and body parts called as A pillar in D segment vehicles.
Technical Requirements Play a Role in the Material Selection
With respect to the features they prefer in the textile products used in the automobiles, he said that: “We believe that textile materials that we call PES materials are more preferred in the automobile sector since they are fire-resistant, abrasion-resistant, liquid-tight and resistant to heat changes. Consequently, technical requirements have priority in the selection of materials.” Özer added that: “The textile materials used in the automobiles increase according to the requests of the clients and currently, even the hard plastic parts used in the internal part of the vehicle are covered by fabrics for a feeling of softness.”
Turkey is a Competitive Country
Stating that such supplementary processes as calendering and embossing on the fabric are becoming more and more popular every day, Özer added that: “Today, many suppliers are trying to develop environment-friendly and recyclable fabrics. Our relations with our suppliers depend on a long-term partnership understanding.”
Stating that Turkey is an important textile supplier for Toyota with its experience of long years in the fabric production as well as competitiveness in terms of costs, Özer added that: “Our suppliers should be able to follow trends in the automobile sector, be aware of the future market and client requirements and be able to offer the advanced fabric technologies to us at competitive prices. This is an important factor for us.”
