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Master'sDesign, HMI & Product Applications open

Master’s in Soft-Trim & Smart Surfaces Engineering

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in soft-trim and smart surfaces engineering, structured in 12 modules covering soft-trim components, skin and foaming processes, upholstery and wrapping, integrated electronics, smart surface interaction, technical textiles, perceived quality and touch, testing and durability, design for manufacture, sustainability and surface trends, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration1900 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Select skins, foams and substrates for soft trim.

02

Define slush moulding, foaming, thermoforming and wrapping processes.

03

Integrate electronics, light and sensors into interior surfaces.

04

Design interactions on smart surfaces with hidden controls.

05

Evaluate touch and perceived quality using sensory and instrumental methods.

06

Validate the durability and safety of soft-trim parts.

07

Apply sustainability and disassembly criteria to trim components.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Soft-trim engineers.
  • Smart surfaces engineers.
  • Interior CMF designers.
  • Wrapping process engineers.
  • Perceived quality specialists.
  • Printed electronics engineers.
  • Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive sector.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • FMVSS 302 (flammability of interior materials)
  • ISO 3795 (road vehicles: burning behaviour of interior materials)
  • VDA 278 (thermal desorption analysis of organic emissions)
  • UNECE Regulation No 21 (interior fittings)
  • UNECE Regulation No 121 (location and identification of hand controls, tell-tales and indicators)
  • Directive 2000/53/EC (end-of-life vehicles)
  • ISO 12947-2 (textiles: Martindale abrasion resistance)
  • ISO 105-B06 (colour fastness to artificial light at high temperatures)
  • CATIA V5
  • PAM-FORM
  • KeyShot
  • Altium Designer
Syllabus

12 modules · 1900 h

  1. 1.1Soft trim in the passenger compartment
  2. 1.2PVC, TPO and PU skins
  3. 1.3Backing foams and touch
  4. 1.4Rigid substrates and their function
  5. 1.5Upholstery of seats and panels
  6. 1.6Armrests and contact zones
  7. 1.7Construction of wrapped steering wheels
  8. 1.8Headliners and textile trim
  9. 1.9Perceived quality requirements
  10. 1.10Case study: teardown of a premium door panel
  1. 2.1Slush moulding of skins
  2. 2.2Sprayed polyurethane skins
  3. 2.3Thermoforming of TPO sheets
  4. 2.4In-mould foaming between skin and substrate
  5. 2.5Skin graining and transfer
  6. 2.6Injection-compression with textile
  7. 2.7Laser scoring for airbags
  8. 2.8Thickness control and defects
  9. 2.9Costs by process and volume
  10. 2.10Laboratory: thermoforming a sheet onto a substrate
  1. 3.1Manual versus automated wrapping
  2. 3.2Contact and heat-activated adhesives
  3. 3.3Edge and corner folding
  4. 3.4Decorative and functional stitching
  5. 3.5Natural leather in trim
  6. 3.6Microfibres and technical suede
  7. 3.7Wrinkles, bubbles and wrapping defects
  8. 3.8Wrapping tooling and presses
  9. 3.9Stitching quality and alignment
  10. 3.10Workshop: wrapping an armrest
  1. 4.1In-mould structural electronics (IME)
  2. 4.2Capacitive sensors in textiles and leather
  3. 4.3Film-based surface heating
  4. 4.4Conductive inks and printing
  5. 4.5Lighting through surfaces
  6. 4.6Micro-perforation for backlighting
  7. 4.7Integration of hidden speakers
  8. 4.8Flexible interconnects and reliability
  9. 4.9Repairability of smart surfaces
  10. 4.10Practical exercise: panel with hidden capacitive buttons
  1. 5.1Shy-tech: technology that appears when used
  2. 5.2Haptics on soft materials
  3. 5.3Hidden symbols and their activation
  4. 5.4Preventing accidental presses
  5. 5.5Proximity surfaces and gestures
  6. 5.6Legibility of backlit symbols
  7. 5.7Perceived quality of active surfaces
  8. 5.8Accessibility of hidden controls
  9. 5.9Control symbols in accordance with UNECE 121
  10. 5.10Case study: centre console with no visible buttons
  1. 6.13D knitted and spacer textiles
  2. 6.2Conductive fabrics and e-textiles
  3. 6.3Textiles with integrated light
  4. 6.4Repellent and stain-resistant finishes
  5. 6.5Martindale durability and pilling formation
  6. 6.6Recycled textiles for trim
  7. 6.7Textile and foam laminates
  8. 6.8Flammability under FMVSS 302
  9. 6.9Acoustic textiles and absorption
  10. 6.10Laboratory: abrasion test of a textile
  1. 7.1Haptic perception of softness
  2. 7.2Measurement of hardness and compression
  3. 7.3Friction and surface smoothness
  4. 7.4Perceived contact temperature
  5. 7.5Sensory panels and training
  6. 7.6Correlation with instrumental measurements
  7. 7.7Squeaks and rattles in soft trim
  8. 7.8Ageing of touch
  9. 7.9Perceived quality benchmarking
  10. 7.10Practical exercise: sensory panel of skins
  1. 8.1Thermal and light ageing
  2. 8.2Resistance to creams and sweat
  3. 8.3Scratch and marking tests
  4. 8.4Delamination and interlayer adhesion
  5. 8.5Cabin climatic cycles
  6. 8.6VOC emissions and odour
  7. 8.7Head impact on trim parts
  8. 8.8Airbag deployment at low temperature
  9. 8.9Durability of integrated electronics
  10. 8.10Workshop: validation plan for a dashboard
  1. 9.1Minimum radii for wrapping
  2. 9.2Parting lines on soft parts
  3. 9.3Tolerances between soft and rigid parts
  4. 9.4Fasteners and clips in trim
  5. 9.5Channels and reliefs for stitching
  6. 9.6Simulation of wrapping and wrinkles
  7. 9.7Cutting optimisation and nesting
  8. 9.8Design for disassembly and recycling
  9. 9.9Costs and commonality of variants
  10. 9.10Case study: optimisation of a wrapped panel
  1. 10.1Alternatives to PVC and plasticisers
  2. 10.2Chrome-free and vegetable-tanned leathers
  3. 10.3Foams with recycled or bio-based polyol
  4. 10.4Mono-material trim
  5. 10.5Separability of layers
  6. 10.6Carbon footprint by material
  7. 10.7Recycling of skins and textiles
  8. 10.8End-of-life vehicle requirements
  9. 10.9Communicating interior sustainability
  10. 10.10Practical exercise: mono-material redesign of a trim part
  1. 11.1Lounge interiors and large surfaces
  2. 11.2Colour-changing surfaces
  3. 11.3Displays behind textiles
  4. 11.4Self-healing scratch-resistant coatings
  5. 11.5Shape-memory materials
  6. 11.6On-demand personalisation
  7. 11.7Hygienic and antibacterial surfaces
  8. 11.8Integration of biometric sensors
  9. 11.9Surfaces for autonomous vehicles
  10. 11.10Workshop: concept for a future smart surface
  1. 12.1Definition of the part and requirements
  2. 12.2Selection of materials and process
  3. 12.3Electronics integration concept
  4. 12.4CAD design of the part
  5. 12.5Prototype of a functional surface
  6. 12.6Touch and durability tests
  7. 12.7Manufacturability and cost analysis
  8. 12.8Sustainability assessment
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme is compatible with full-time work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is CATIA V5, PAM-FORM, KeyShot and Altium Designer, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: sensory panels for touch and perceived quality, climatic and ageing tests of trim parts, and functional prototypes of surfaces with integrated electronics. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: FMVSS 302, ISO 3795, VDA 278, UNECE Regulation No 21, UNECE Regulation No 121, Directive 2000/53/EC, ISO 12947-2 and ISO 105-B06.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of FMVSS 302, ISO 3795 and VDA 278 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:CATIA V5, PAM-FORM, KeyShot and Altium Designer, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:a functional smart soft-trim part, from requirements, materials and process selection to electronics integration, prototype, touch and durability testing, manufacturability, cost and sustainability assessment, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Premium door panel teardown
Break down a premium door panel into its soft-trim components and processes.
Hidden capacitive controls
Build a panel with hidden capacitive buttons and backlit symbols.
Sensory panel
Run a sensory panel on skins and correlate it with instrumental measurements.
Dashboard validation plan
Draw up a durability and safety validation plan for a dashboard.
Master's Thesis
Develop a functional smart surface prototype with testing, manufacturability and sustainability analysis, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Soft-trim engineerSmart surfaces engineerInterior CMF designerWrapping process engineerPerceived quality specialistPrinted electronics engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with CATIA V5, PAM-FORM, KeyShot and Altium Designer, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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