Production and Applications
of Multi-Layer 3D Fabrics
Muhammad Nadeem Shuakat
And Xungai Wang
Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong,
VIC 3217, Australia
What are Composites?
Materials formed by intimately combining two or more discrete physical
phases to get superior properties of the individual constituents.
Common examples are
•
•
•
•
•
•
Natural wood: a composite of cellulose and Lignin.
Plywood: a composite of thin wooden sheets and glue.
Ancient Bricks: a composite of mud and straw.
Cement blocks: a composite of cement and iron wires mesh.
Bath tub: a composite of Glass fibre and resin.
Polymer matrix and a fibrous material as the reinforcement are the
most commonly used examples of composite materials.
• Most advance forms are materials used in high tech industries.
Why Composites?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Composites replacing metals minimizing tons of CO2.
Durable composites, need very lesser replacements.
Composites are strong and light in weight.
Fabric preforms have broad flexibility in design.
They can be moulded in complex form and geometry.
Their strength and stiffness can be tailored according to
end use by changing
•
•
•
Layer to layer placement at different angles in laminated preforms.
Volume fraction in 3D textile preforms.
Ratio of preform and polymer matrix.
Technical
Textile
Sectors
Year
2005
2010
Oekotech
Mobiltech
Indutech
Sporttech
Buildtech
Volume
‘000 tons
287
2828
2624
1153
2033
Value
US$ mn
1039
26861
16687
16052
7296
Volume
‘000 tons
400
3338
3257
1382
2591
Value
US$ mn
1389
29282
21528
19062
9325
Hometech
Clothtech
Meditech
Agrotech
Protech
Packtech
Geotech
2499
1413
1928
1615
279
2990
319
7622
7014
6670
6568
5873
5329
927
2853
1656
2380
1958
340
3606
413
8778
8306
8238
8079
6857
6630
1203
Total
19681
106899
23774
127288
Textile Reinforcement Structures
Textile Reinforcement
Structures
Laminated composite
preforms
Braiding
Knitting
Weaving
3-D Textile composite
preforms
NonWoven
Braiding
Knitting
Weaving
NonWoven
Tailored Fibre
Placement
3-D Textile composite preforms
•
•
•
•
•
Knitting
Braiding
Tailored Fibre Placement
Thick Non-woven
Weaving
Knitting
In 3D knitted structures, more than one yarn and multiple needle beds
are used to get much thicker structures
Braiding
Different numbers of yarns mounted on spools, cross each other at a certain
angle in a circular or pre-defined path to form a circular or specific shaped
preforms.
Tailored Fibre Placement
Tows of carbon fibres are placed in a sheet form at various angles as
required by the design of product, stitched by fine mono filament polyester.
3D Weaving
In 3D weaving the constituent yarns cross at various angles and between
different layers to form a 3D mesh or a network like structure.
3D Woven Textiles
3D woven fabrics are classified into two
categories
• Basis of Axis
• Basis of Dimensions
Basis of Axis
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•
•
•
•
3- axis fabric (yarns in x, y and z axis)
5- axis fabric (3 axes in x direction and one in each y and z)
7- axis fabric (3 axes each in x and y directions and one in z)
9- axis fabric (3 axes in all x, y and z directions)
13- axis fabric (3 axes in all x, y and z directions and with four
further yarns passing through eight diagonally opposite
corners)
Basis of Dimensions
Production of 3D Woven Textiles
• True 3D Fabrics
• 2D Woven Fabrics
(Multi-Layer Stitched Fabrics)
True 3D Fabrics
• True 3D Fabrics need special machines.
• These machines can only produce special shaped fabrics.
• Limited and special use of these machines and fabrics.
Why 2D Multi-Layer Stitched Fabrics?
• Composite manufacturing facility is negligible in Pakistan.
• Very few industries using prepeg for composite products.
• We don’t have any share in composite exports for
specialized products.
• Basic structures and materials for prepeg and composite
products can be produced using existing infrastructure.
• Multi-Layer Fabrics don’t require extra investment for
machines.
• At present, we don’t need invest a lot for true 3D textile
preforms to enter this market and taking risk for loss of
revenue.
Production of 3D Multi-Layer Fabrics
Multi-Layer Fabrics can be produced on
• Single Shed Machines
• Multi Shed Machines
Both types of machines can produce multi-layer fabrics,
only difference is:
• Production rate
• Ease of using multiple kind of yarns in multi-shed weaving machines.
Single Shed Weaving Machines
• One pick at a time
• Lower production rates.
Multi-Shed Weaving Machines
• Simultaneously multi-picking
• Higher production rates.
• Possibility of inserting different materials in different
sheds.
Types of Multi-Layer Fabrics
Single layer fabric
Open width two
layer fabric
Open width
three layer fabric
Open width
four layer fabric
Tubular two
layer fabric
Tubular
three layer
fabric
Tubular four
layer fabric
How to develop Multi-Layer Fabrics
Double Layer Tubular Fabrics
• Top layer or fabric is denoted by Face (F) and bottom layer or fabric
Back (B)
• Further layers are denoted by middle 1 (m1) and middle 2 (m2).
• In the resultant design of the multilayer fabric ends may be arranged
in F-B-F-B order or any suitable order to get appropriate no of ends
of each layer
• Picks must be always arranged in F-B-F-B sequence to get resulting
two-layer-tubular-fabric.
• The weave repeat is completed on 4ends x 4picks.
Tubular fabrics without stitching
• The top layer ends should always weave only with face
pick and back ends with back picks.
• The top layer ends should always be up on back picks.
• Back end should always be down on face picks.
Tubular fabrics without stitching
Rule-1: Face ends will only
weave with face picks
b2
f2
.
X
X
.
b1
• “X” = face ends raised on face picks
• “.” = face ends down on face picks
f1
F1
B2
F1
B2
Tubular fabrics without stitching
Rule-2: Back ends will only
weave with back picks
b2
O
O
.
f2
b1
• “O” = back ends raised on back picks
• “.“ = back ends down on back picks
.
f1
F1
B2
F1
B2
Tubular fabrics without stitching
Rule-3: Face ends raised on
back picks and back ends
lowered on face picks.
• “/” = face ends raised on back picks
• “-” = back ends down on face picks
b2
a
.
/
O
f2
.
-
X
-
b1
/
O
/
.
f1
X
-
.
-
F1
B2
F1
B2
Tubular fabrics without stitching
• Fabric produced in this way is
tubular
• Two layers each having plain
weave
• Each layer independent of other.
b2
X
.
X
X
f2
.
.
X
.
b1
X
X
X
.
f1
X
.
.
.
F1
B2
F1
B2
Double Layer Tubular Fabrics
Multi-Layer Stitched Fabrics
Applications of 3D textile structures
> Aerospace Industry
> Automobile Industry
> Construction Industry
> Medical Industry
> Sports Industry
> Defence Industry
> Others
Aerospace Industry
New 787 Dreamliner developed by Boeing company
• Comprises 50% composite materials with reduced
weight
• More savings in terms of fuel
• More capacity for passengers and cargo.
Automobile Industry
By using composite materials:
• 30% weight reduction without compromising on strength.
• Carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) are 50% lighter than steel.
• CFRP gives at least same strength as steel.
• Gives added extra miles to every litre of fuel.
Construction Industry
Composites are ideal for use in the
construction industry because of
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•
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•
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Their dimensional stability
Strength with reduced weight
Good impact resistance
Low flammability
Low maintenance
Good design flexibility
Composites are used in the form of
• Panels
• Pillars
• Ceiling
• Floor Tiles
Composite material in building
• "INNOTEX" in Aachen Melaten
is the first building fully
developed
from
textile
reinforced concrete.
• RWTH Aachen University in
collaboration
with
Shell
developed this building.
• This is thermally insulated and
self supporting building
• Saving of 420 tons of CO2 gas
Medical Industry
• Being light in weight and robust,
fibre reinforced composite materials
are used in medical applications.
• Combination of glass & carbon fibre
allows
flexibility
to
minimize
breakage in splint supports.
• The energy storing property of
carbon fibre makes it an ideal
material for this dynamic ankle foot
orthosis.
Sports Industry
• Composite materials are replacing
conventional wooden materials to
make sticks and rackets lighter
•Giving sportsmen more freedom of
movement with added strength.
• Sport bicycle manufacturers are using
composites to reduce weight.
•Giving user more freedom in terms of
speed with added safety.
Defence Industry
• Composite have become an integral part of defence
• Use of composites made Hummvee lighter & allowed higher
payloads.
• Safe Passage having concrete composite.
• Honey comb based tubeless tyres.
• Usage of composites increased from 2% to 24% of total weight from
F15 to F22.
• By using composite materials in fighter planes, more flight time with
the same amount of fuel was achieved.
• The reduced weight allows more ammunition on the plane, with the
added advantage of better and quick manoeuvring
Defence Industry
Defence Industry
Conclusion
•
Textile composites are better source of metal replacement reducing tons of
CO2 emission preserving natural environment.
•
Textile composites can be used in a variety of products and are simplest
solution to enter technical textile export markets.
•
3D textile preforms produced by multi-layer stitched fabrics can be
produced on existing infra structure without any further investment.
•
The multi-layer stitched preforms can be developed into more complex
shapes and geometries by using jacquards as lifting mechanisms.
•
Multi-shed will give more diverse effect in weft with increased production.
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Rapier weft insertion gives ease of picking almost any thing can be used.
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A combination of jacquard lifting, multi-shed and rapier can give more
flexibility in producing complex shapes and geometries with more ease.