Production and Applications of Multi-

Layer 3D FabricsMuhammad Nadeem Shuakat

And Xungai WangCentre 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

Volume‘000 tons

ValueUS$ mn

Volume‘000 tons

Value US$ mn

Oekotech 287 1039 400 1389Mobiltech 2828 26861 3338 29282Indutech 2624 16687 3257 21528Sporttech 1153 16052 1382 19062Buildtech 2033 7296 2591 9325

Hometech 2499 7622 2853 8778Clothtech 1413 7014 1656 8306Meditech 1928 6670 2380 8238Agrotech 1615 6568 1958 8079Protech 279 5873 340 6857

Packtech 2990 5329 3606 6630Geotech 319 927 413 1203Total 19681 106899 23774 127288

Textile Reinforcement StructuresTextile Reinforcement

Structures

Laminated composite preforms

Braiding Knitting Weaving Non-Woven

3-D Textile composite preforms

WeavingKnitting Non-

WovenBraiding 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

betweendifferent 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 • 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.

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

Types of Multi-Layer Fabrics

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

• “X” = face ends raised on face picks

• “.” = face ends down on face picks

b2

f2 . X

b1

f1 X .

F1 B2 F1 B2

Tubular fabrics without stitching

Rule-2: Back ends will only weave with back picks

• “O” = back ends raised on back picks

• “.“ = back ends down on back picks

b2 . O

f2

b1 O .

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 theconstruction industry because of • 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.

• Rapier weft insertion gives ease of picking almost any thing can be used.

• A combination of jacquard lifting, multi-shed and rapier can give more flexibility in producing complex shapes and geometries with more ease.

THANKS