Innovative geometrical pre-mesh modelling strategy for 3D fibre preform manufacturing

Abstract

A novel braiding–weaving system (BWS) is developed offering broad design and manufacturing possibilities based on hybridisation of weaving and braiding. In order to understand and optimize this machine and to be able to explore all the possibilities regarding complex 3-dimensional (3D) structures design, a new modelling strategy has been developed to generate geometrical skeleton of those structures. This strategy is based on the collision detection and kinematic aspects of the machine itself. Hypothesis given by kinematics allows to simply change the structure type (i.e. braiding or weaving) by changing the yarns paths. Those hypotheses are introduced in the article followed by the model that has been used and the collision detection method. Modelled 3D textile preforms are compared with manufactured samples in order to evaluate the accuracy of the modelling and simulation approaches.