Experimental and Numerical Study of Sewing Seams of Automobile Seat Covers Under Unidirectional and Multiaxial Loading

In industrial textiles, knowing the exact characteristics and behaviour of materials is important. For car seats, industrial textiles not just cover the underlying foam but also increase rigidity of the seat cushion and influence viscoelastic behaviours of foams. Moreover, strength of sewn seams is one of the main quality parameters. Herein, four polyester and polyamide threads were sewn on a material used for car seat covers through lockstitch sewing. Combinations of these materials were studied using static tests in the unidirectional and multiaxial variants. The experimental measurements recorded using a high-speed camera and computer tomography were used to create CAD models. Numerical simulations were conducted using these models and the obtained material models. These model studies help predict and describe the stresses emerging within various types of textile and the threads in their connections. The simulation results agree well with the experimental results.