Manufacturing of composite parts reinforced through-thickness by tufting

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe paper aims at providing practical guidelines for the manufacture of composite parts reinforced by tufting. The need for through-thickness reinforcement of high performance carbon fibre composite structures is reviewed and various options are presented. The tufting process is described in detail and relevant aspects of the technology are analysed such as: equipment configuration and setup, latest advances in tooling, thread selection, preform supporting systems and choice of ancillary materials. Effects of the process parameters on the preform fibre architecture and on the meso-structure of the reinforced component are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the different options available in terms of tuft insertion and loops management.Potential fields of application of the technology are investigated as well as the limitations of its applicability in relation to preform nature and geometry. Critical issues which may arise during the manufacturing process concerning thread insertion, loops formation, alteration to the fabric fibres layout or local volume fraction are identified.Crown

Extruded high-temperature thermoplastic tufting yarns for enhanced mechanical properties of composites

“…When knotted, the PSU's UTS actually increased by 3.8%. 11 A similar trend occurred when looped, as can be seen in Figure 3. It is proposed that this enhanced yarn robustness will enable successful tufting with minimal yarn damage when compared to conventional tufting yarns.…”

“…However, as can be seen from Figure 4 the yarns tend to misalign the laminate's fibres lowering their position into the composite and as such reducing their protrusion significantly. 11 As a result of this their influence on the thickness of the panels was not thought to be significant. As such the calculated volume fraction results are as follows: Figure 6 shows the typical stress-strain curve for a non-tufted composite tensile specimen.…”

An experimental investigation into multi-functional Z-pinned composite laminates

“…The susceptibility of FRP to delamination is particularly significant under impact loading. Aiming to improve the delamination resistance of laminated composites, the past decades have seen the advance of several through-thickness reinforcement (TTR) techniques, such as stitching [3], tufting [4], braiding [5] and 3D weaving [6].…”

Improving the Understanding of Tufted Energy Absorbing Sandwich Structures

“…Tufting originated as an ancient carpet manufacturing technology but has recently gained popularity as a method of through-thickness reinforcement for composite materials. Unlike more traditional stitching methods, tufting uses a single threaded needle to insert a reinforcing thread, and relies on friction alone to hold the reinforcement in place [8]. As only a single needle is used, the surface features of the reinforcement are not symmetric, with a seam of thread formed on the insertion side, and a loop of thread formed on the back face.…”