Toray’s PEF Division supplies ToraSoft® and Toraypef® foam sheets to more than 15 laminators, 32 Tier I and Tier II molding companies, and 18 automotive OEM manufacturers. The sheets soften otherwise hard plastic interior surfaces and create a luxurious feel that enhances the comfort of drivers and passengers. Toraypef® foam is also specified for door water shields, headliners, HVAC ducts, trench liners, and other vehicle components.

ToraSoft® and Toraypef® automotive foams for vehicle interior applications are usually first laminated to a TPO or a PVC foil skin, which is then typically sent to a Tier I or Tier II automotive supplier for another processing step in order to create an interior trim component. Those steps may include thermoforming to a plastic or wood fiber substrate, assembly by hand with gluing or stapling to a substrate, and/or back injecting with a thermoplastic. In thermoforming and hand assembly, the laminates may first be stitched for decorative contrast.

OEMs that substitute Toraypef® foam for conventional injected-molded plastics used for manufacturing duct and liner applications typically achieve a 60 percent weight reduction. Foams used for ducts and liners are typically compression molded or thermoformed. HVAC ducts in particular are formed as two separate pieces and then molded together in “twin-sheet” thermoforming equipment. Nonwoven materials and scrims may be attached to the foam before or after molding.