GME 60286 Determination of Air Permeability of Flooring Materials

The “GME 60286 Determination of Air Permeability of Upholstery Materials” standard, developed by General Motors Europe (GME), includes a laboratory procedure to measure how easily air passes through automotive interior materials such as fabrics, nonwoven textiles, leather, synthetic leather, foams, and multilayer upholstery structures. This standard is currently inactive, but it is widely referenced in the automotive industry for evaluating passenger comfort and material performance.

The primary goal of the GME 60286 standard is to establish a consistent and repeatable method for measuring the air permeability of automotive upholstery materials. Air permeability affects several important vehicle properties, including:

• Passenger seat comfort
• Ventilation efficiency
• Moisture transfer
• Thermal comfort
• Acoustic behavior
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system performance

General Motors standardized its testing procedure, enabling objective comparison of materials supplied by different manufacturers.

Air permeability is an important characteristic as it directly affects the interior quality of the vehicle:

• Passenger comfort: Seat fabrics with appropriate breathability allow heat and moisture produced by passengers to dissipate more efficiently, reducing sweating during long journeys.
• Air conditioning performance: Modern ventilated seats rely on controlled airflow across the upholstery. Materials that are too restrictive reduce ventilation efficiency.
• Moisture management: Materials with appropriate permeability help prevent condensation and moisture buildup, which can promote odor or microbial growth.
• Acoustic performance: Airflow characteristics affect how textile layers absorb sound within the passenger compartment.
• Production consistency: Material suppliers must maintain uniform permeability between production batches to ensure consistent vehicle quality.

The GME 60286 standard is applicable to numerous automotive upholstery materials, including those listed below:

• Woven fabrics
• knitted fabrics
• Nonwoven materials
• Seat upholstery
• Ceiling fabrics
• Door trim panels
• Faux Leather
• Leather laminates
• Foam-backed textiles
• Composite flooring components

The GME 60286 standard, in principle, measures the amount of air passing through a defined area of ​​material under a specific pressure difference. The test process generally follows these steps:

• The sample is securely compressed.
• A controlled pressure difference is applied.
• Air is passed through the material.
• Air flow velocity is measured.
• Air permeability is calculated from the measured airflow and the test area.

According to the equipment specifications referenced in the GME 60286 standard, the method typically uses a test area of ​​100 cm² ^and a pressure difference of 200 Pa, with results expressed in L/dm² ^{/ min.}

Laboratory equipment used in tests typically consists of the following:

• Air permeability testing device
• Pressure regulator
• Flow meter
• Test title
• Sample clamp
• Vacuum or compressed air source
• Digital pressure measurement system

Modern automated air permeability testing equipment can perform these measurements with high repeatability.

Several characteristics affect air permeability measurements:

• Fabric weave density
• Yarn thickness
• Fiber type
• Surface coatings
• Foam thickness
• Lamination adhesive
• Compression during testing.
• Material aspect
• Temperature and humidity

Since these variables can affect the results, standardized test conditions are essential.

This test is widely applied in the automotive industry in the following areas:

• Materials development
• Supplier qualification assessment
• PPAP approval
• Incoming material inspection
• Product verification
• Design optimization
• Comparison of competing materials.
• Quality control

The internal components typically evaluated in these tests are:

• Seat covers
• Seat cushions
• Door panels
• Armrests
• Ceiling tiles
• Pole coverings
• Luggage racks

The GME 60286 standard offers several advantages, including:

Repeatable laboratory measurements

• Objective comparison between materials.
• Improved supplier consistency
• Improved passenger comfort assessment.
• Ventilated seat development support
• Early detection of production variation
• Improved quality assurance.

Although developed specifically for General Motors Europe, the GME 60286 standard follows the same general testing principles as various internationally accepted air permeability standards, including:

• ASTM D737 Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics
• ISO 9237 Textiles - Determination of air permeability of fabrics
• DIN 53887 Textile testing - Determination of air permeability of textile fabrics.

When customer specifications permit, many modern laboratories can perform equivalent assessments using these international methods.

The use of the GME 60286 standard helps manufacturers in the following areas:

• Choosing breathable upholstery materials.
• Improving passenger comfort
• Optimizing ventilated seating systems.
• Ensuring production consistency.
• Reducing supplier variability.
• General Motors verifies compliance with material requirements.

In conclusion, the GME 60286 standard established a standardized method for evaluating the air permeability of automotive upholstery materials. This property is a crucial characteristic affecting comfort, ventilation, moisture management, and overall interior quality. Although the standard itself is no longer in effect, its methodology remains relevant and is closely aligned with modern international air permeability standards. The principles set forth by the GME 60286 standard continue to support automotive engineers and material suppliers in developing interior materials that balance durability, aesthetics, and passenger comfort.

For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its clients, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting them in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services compliant with the GME 60286 standard.