Composites are reinforced with 3D fabric preforms. Ballistic applications, aircraft, and automobiles, as well as the structural reinforcement industry, have a huge demand for 3D woven preforms. In the literature, there is a wide range of woven fabric reinforced composites and laminates. Delamination resistance and out-of-plane performance characteristics are generally poor in these products due to insufficient or absent through-thickness reinforcement. Preform weaving techniques allow the production of fully interlaced 3D woven fabrics with through-thickness reinforcement that is delamination resistant and has increased out-of-plane mechanical properties. The high-performance knit fabrics made from 3D completely interlaced preform weaving, combining Dyneema, carbon, kevlar, and Zylon, have exceptional mechanical properties and light-weight characteristics, making them suitable candidates for high-end technical composite applications. Weaving is briefly introduced in this work, followed by an introduction to 3D woven fabrics. Three-dimensional fully interlaced preform weaving is emphasized in the existing literature, thereby contrasting it with other processes for manufacturing 3D woven fabrics. An extensive review of the literature on 3D fully interlaced preform weaving devices is followed by a discussion of the primary and secondary mechanisms as well as modeling 3D woven fabric structures that are produced by 3D fully interlaced preform weaving.
Fabrics are woven by interlacing two sets of yarns that are perpendicular to each other. In Neolithic times, the technique was used. Several archaeological sites around the world have shown signs of woven fabrics. Kramrisch (1968) asserts that mastery and knowledge of the skill have long been matters of intellectual pride. Weaved fabrics were initially used as clothing and shelter for protection. However, with a growing population and an ever-improving advanced technology, fabrics are being used more and more for fashion and performance, increasing the standard of living of human beings.
Weft yarns were inserted manually after warp yarns were hung from branches, and warp yarns were hung from a tree branch. In this sense, the loom appeared for the first time. Looms, in this context, refer to any frame or device used for holding warp threads parallel to one another so that the warp and weft can be interlaced at right angles (Broudy 1993). This led to the development of the vertical loom and the horizontal loom, which are the predecessors of the modern weaving loom. As studied by Broudy (1993), the transition from handloom to a modern loom happened throughout history. These technologies, however, were all solely focused on two-dimensional (2D) woven fabrics.
Modern simulation platforms and computer-aided design (CAD) programs have opened up new possibilities for traditional weaving. Among those are smart integrations of electronics, reinforcements, medical applications, 3D contour weaving on 2D platforms, and multiaxial weaving. However, 3D fabrics have been in existence for a long time, despite being regarded as a newly developed concept. Throughout the prehistoric era, humans made baskets and other household utensils using weaving techniques. During the period 8600–8000 B.C., the Guitarrero Cave in Peru provided evidence of basket making, says Bruce (1993). A machine first appeared in 3D weaving in the form of a tablet loom during these early stages, but manual processes still prevailed. Following this development, technologies have been developed for the design and manufacture of 3D woven fabrics. Technologies like these are used to reinforce concrete structures, manufacture 3D woven components for vehicles, and weave sacks, among many other applications.
As well as the development of machines and technology, 3D textile fabrics have also grown in popularity because of the easy application possibilities, ability to produce very complex parts without the need for assembly, and very low production costs. The introduction of new high-performance fibers has also played an important role in the growth of 3D weaving technology. The use of natural fibers in fashion fabrics has a significant aesthetic appeal. The same fibers were also used in technical and industrial textiles up until 100 years ago. In the first half of the twentieth century, man-made fibers made it possible to manufacture fabrics with excellent performance characteristics, such as high-performance textile fibers. Automobile tires, for instance, moved from cotton cords in 1900 to a series of improved rayon’s in 1935 to 1955, and then to nylon, polyester, and steel, which now dominate the market. The use of synthetic fibers for technical textiles was similar to the substitution of natural and regenerated fibers (Hearle 2001). The performance of fibers is a very critical factor for the production and integrity of 3D knit fabrics. High strength and rigidity are necessary for fibers. Due to the interlacing of yarns in different dimensions, 3D woven fabrics show a high degree of crimp, so the likelihood of a yarn breaking is high, but this should be prevented due to the excellent yarn strength. As a 3D weave fabric, the yarn rigidity is crucial in maintaining the integrity and its final form.
As the fibers were initially developed to manufacture textiles for apparel applications, the focus was primarily on their tactile comfort properties. Textiles have become increasingly used in high-end technical applications as a result of developments in the technical textiles sector. Due to this, the performance characteristics of the textile became more important than the tactile properties. With the development of fibers that possess superior performance and lightweight characteristics, 3D woven structures can be constructed using these fibers.
Glass, carbon, and aramid fiber yarns are commonly used in woven reinforcements. When woven fabric reinforcements are two-dimensional (2D), two sets of yarns are interlaced together and, in some cases, multiple layers of the fabric may be present in the composite’s cross-section. Due to this, the composite is stable only along two axes or a maximum of three axes, and this was not sufficient for most applications. This resulted in yarns being laid in different axes, thus producing multi-axis fabrics.
The first method aimed at increasing the stability of woven fabric produced on a regular weaving machine in its third dimension. Binding yarns were inserted between the warp yarns to bind off the wefts. The needles used were threaded with binding yarns from another warp beam and passed between the warp yarns. Lappet weaving is a widely used technique. This technique, however, provided only two-dimensional stability, and the fabric’s torsional and bending rigidity was not sufficient. In response, a new method has been developed, known as triaxial weaving. Using this method, the warp sheet is positioned orthogonally to its arrangement, and the wefts are inserted. Two-dimensional (2D) woven structures were created using this technique, which was later combined with the lappet weaving technique, and multiaxial weaving was introduced. Fabrics produced by the multiaxial weave technique were characterized by excellent stability and sufficient thickness and strength to withstand loads, which made them perfect for simple planar composites. As a result of their high planar stability, however, these fabrics cannot be molded into complex-shaped composites. Three-dimensional woven fabric structures in composite materials were developed to solve this problem.
SOURCE:
- https://fashionandtextiles.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40691-020-00240-7
- https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/8275/the-dazzling-world-of-3d-woven-fabric
Image Courtesy:
- https://www.satatonmall.com/news/3d-woven-fabric-exhibited-in-milan-design.html
- https://3dwovens.com/
- https://textum.com/3d-fabric/
- https://grabcad.com/library/plain-weave-fabric-1
Written by Rafiad Ruhi
