With the new Regulation 118.02 coming into force on 26 July, Camira tells routeone about its capabilities readily available for the industry, and how to maintain the quality of the coach and buses interiors
With over 200 years of experience in providing the market with fabric, Yorkshire-based textile company Camira Fabrics wants to ensure that the interiors of coach and buses not only look good, but that they meet all the regulations and technical standards to ensure passenger safety.
Camira provides fabrics for passenger transport interiors around the world, and there is a broad choice, including moquette, flat-woven, leather, vinyl, and trim fabrics, which can be used for curtains, bulkheads, luggage racks, sidewalls, anti-macassars and piping detail.
Camira’s Transport Design Manager, Ciara Crossan, says: “Our core is upholstery fabrics for seating, but we can also offer full interior fabric solutions for trims, wall sides and ready-made curtain kits.”
But the team at Camira stress one of the most important factors in choosing the right fabric.
“Everything right now is about getting people out of their cars and on to the bus,” says Area Business Manager Nigel Vickers. “People want to feel comfy.”
New Regulation 118.02
Regulation 118.02 is an extension to Regulation 118.01. It originated from the European Standards Commission and applies to the burning behaviour of vehicle interiors. The components are tested for rate of horizontal burning, melting behaviour and now also rate of vertical burning, which is a more stringent element of the test.
For 2017, new models must have all components meeting Regulation 118.02, and existing products approved to Regulation 118.01 will require an extension.
In 2020, all products, vehicles registering for the first time, and all installed components – including refurbished – must be compliant with Regulation 118.02.
Some fabrics Camira stocks already meet the new regulation standards.
Camira’s latest fabric, a flat-woven polyester called Vision, already meets Regulation 118.02, and was developed for two years before being brought to the market. “All our wool fabrics meet Regulation 118.02 and we wanted to be sure our new products to market also meet the same standards.”
Choosing the right fabric
Camira holds an array of products, as well as custom-made fabrics that can be created by its in-house design team from initial concept through to finished fabric. Camira says if you’re looking for something special, a bespoke design or branded fabric can add personality and flair to a vehicle interior.
Its design capabilities include matching and creating custom-made colours; small production samples of bespoke colour-woven designs can be produced for both moquette and flat-woven fabrics; and life-like computer-aided design (CAD) simulations can be produced.
Choosing the right design
Camira prides itself on its capabilities. “It’s all about making an idea into a reality,” says Ciara. And it appears no time will be spared in ensuring customers are happy with a design.
Transport for London, London Hire and Reading Buses are just three of the companies that have worked with Camira.
London Hire came to Camira with a logo from a business card, which they wanted designed on a bespoke fabric. Camira incorporated the logo, using branded colourways, into a fabric that is now stocked as a standard moquette for London Hire.
If a custom design is required, it’s recommended to visit Camira’s design studio at its head office. Reading Buses spent a day with Camira’s design team when choosing the fabric and design for its buses.
“75-80% of interiors are custom made,” says Nigel. “Customers come to us with an idea and it’s a real collaboration between them and our designers.
”We provide a consultancy service. We develop a close partnership, which means we are part of the process from the beginning to the finished fabric, and can fully embrace the brief and the vision of what’s required.”
Protecting the fabric
Camira says that to extend the lifetime of the fabric, it needs to be well looked after.
“Neglect is the most common cause of the premature breakdown of any upholstery fabric,” says Ciara. And although every product from Camira comes with a five-year guarantee, it still needs to be maintained.
Ensuring the interiors of the coach or bus remain in the best standard, there are many solutions to help protect the quality and longevity of a fabric.
Cleaning routines are recommended and treatments, including Camira’s Defender treatment – which is an anti-stain, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial protection – can be added to certain fabrics.
Choosing a more hardwearing fabric can make all difference. For over 100 years, the coach and bus industry standard has been the traditional 83% wool, 17% nylon composition moquette. The strong durability of the moquette fabric, due to the wool pile construction, increases its lifespan.
“Moquette is a classic, it will be here to stay. It’s such a functional product,” says Ciara.
Coming soon
Camira is setting out to make choosing the perfect interior easier with a new ‘Trend Book’ launching later this year.
It will be filled with trend directions, provide information on what can be done with fabrics, exploring colour, pattern and texture. The ‘Trend Book’ will be an inspirational resource and will use visual props to help piece together specific fabrics and finishes.
“We want to try and make it easier for our customers to select fabric and also show our capabilities,” says Ciara. “The whole idea is to create concepts and colour stories across visual mood boards. It’s a tool for customers.”
