Airbag processing

Airbags may be flat woven, where the bag is made up of several fabric pieces stitched together or one piece woven (OPW), where the structure of the airbag is fully formed on the loom. Both types require trimming, for which a CO₂ laser is the ideal tool. The laser process is efficient and reliable, minimising waste by cutting with consistently high quality. The non-contact nature of the process means that handling of the fabric is minimised and the silicone coating is therefore less likely to incur any damage which may compromise the integrity of the airbag.

CO₂ lasers can also be used to score lines in the material of the car dashboard and door skins, selectively weakening the structure so that a flap breaks open to release the airbag in the event of a collision. This laser scoring is implemented on the reverse side of the interior panels, so there is no aesthetic impact visible to the occupants of the vehicle, and must be performed to extremely tight tolerances.