Spray urethane method of making a headliner assembly

A method for forming a motor vehicle headliner assembly having central portions and peripheral portions disposed at a periphery of the central portions, said peripheral portions having a thickness that is smaller than a thickness of the central portions, comprising the steps of:

• providing a headliner cover having an exterior surface which is to present a major exterior appearance of the headliner assembly and an opposite interior surface;
• mounting the headliner cover on a vacuum mold so that the exterior surface is facing a shaping mold surface of the vacuum mold having a shape corresponding with a desired major exterior surface shape of the headliner cover and so that the interior surface is facing away from the mold surface;
• applying a vacuum to the vacuum mold so as to draw the exterior surface of the headliner cover into conformity with the shaping mold surface of the vacuum mold;
• providing a foamable material directly to different areas on the opposite surface of said headliner cover such that a greater amount of foamable material per unit area will be applied to central portions of the opposite surface of said headliner cover relative to the amount of foamable material per unit area applied to peripheral portions of the opposite surface of said headliner cover, said foamable material being applied to said different areas in amounts commensurate with a desired thickness of the headliner assembly at said different areas;
• expanding the foamable material at a generally constant rate throughout so that said foamable material has a generally constant density throughout;
• and
• curing the foamable material and adhering the foamable material to the headliner cover so as to provide a body of foamed material constituting an inner layer of said headliner assembly.