Vinyl Wrapping for Thermoformed Plastic Parts

In many industries, it’s not enough for a plastic part to function well—it also needs to look and feel right. That’s where vinyl wrapping comes in. At Arrowhead, we use vinyl wrapping to enhance the surface finish of rigid thermoformed plastic parts, adding a premium feel and soft-touch texture without the complexity or cost of multi-material molding.

Vinyl wrapping is a multi-step finishing process designed to cover a rigid structural part—usually formed from ABS—with a seamless vinyl skin. The result is a durable, attractive part that blends function, comfort, and style.

How Vinyl Wrapping Works

The process begins with a fully formed and trimmed plastic part, typically made using our in-house thermoforming capabilities. The part is then coated with an adhesive and paired with a sheet of vinyl, commonly a flexible material like Naugahyde, that has been preheated until it becomes pliable. The vinyl is vacuum formed over the rigid core, allowing it to stretch and conform to the part’s shape without wrinkles or gaps.

Once cooled, the vinyl is trimmed and wrapped around the edges, creating a clean, high-end finish that’s both tactile and durable.

Why Use Vinyl Wrapping?

Soft-Touch Surface

Vinyl wrapping transforms a standard rigid part into one that’s comfortable to touch and handle. This is perfect for interior panels, dashboards, and consumer products.

Premium Appearance

From matte to leather-textured finishes, vinyl adds depth and aesthetic value to otherwise utilitarian surfaces.

Cost-Effective Alternative to Multi-Material Molding

Rather than investing in expensive dual-shot or overmolding tooling, vinyl wrapping allows you to apply a soft outer surface to a hard-core part at a fraction of the cost.

Design Flexibility

Vinyl can be applied to complex shapes and tight contours, and new advances in pre-distorted imaging and patterned vinyls are expanding the possibilities even further.

Quick Changeover

Need a different surface texture or color? Simply switch the vinyl not the core material or tooling.

Typical Applications

Vinyl wrapping is widely used in industries where both form and function matter. Common applications include:

• Automotive dashboards and center consoles
• Instrument panels and control housings
• Consumer electronics enclosures
• Marine interior panels
• Medical or commercial control surfaces
• Kiosk and point-of-sale device covers

Whether it’s adding luxury to a vehicle interior or making a control panel easier to grip, vinyl wrapping offers a professional, scalable solution.

Material Compatibility and Emerging Options

Vinyl wrapping works best with rigid substrates like ABS, TPO, polycarbonate, or even fiberglass. Each of these materials provides a strong structural base that holds its shape under the vacuum pressure required for wrapping.

Emerging technologies are also introducing multi-layer thermoformable sheets with soft TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) cap layers. These materials allow certain vinyl-like textures to be integrated into the sheet itself making it possible to eliminate some wrapping steps entirely for specific applications. Arrowhead can help you determine whether a traditional vinyl wrap or a multi-layer solution is best for your project.