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 Year
Textile 2005 2010
Sectors Volume Value Volume Value
‘000 tons US$ mn ‘000 tons US$ mn
Oekotech 287 1039 400 1389
Mobiltech 2828 26861 3338 29282
Indutech 2624 16687 3257 21528
Sporttech 1153 16052 1382 19062
Buildtech 2033 7296 2591 9325
Hometech 2499 7622 2853 8778
Clothtech 1413 7014 1656 8306
Meditech 1928 6670 2380 8238
Agrotech 1615 6568 1958 8079
Protech 279 5873 340 6857
Packtech 2990 5329 3606 6630
Geotech 319 927 413 1203
Total 19681 106899 23774 127288
 Textile Reinforcement Structures
Textile Reinforcement
Structures

Laminated composite 3-D Textile composite

preforms preforms

Non-
Braiding Knitting Weaving Woven Braiding Knitting Weaving Non-Woven 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
• 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 Tubular two
layer fabric

Open width two

layer fabric
Tubular
three layer
Open width fabric
three layer fabric

Tubular four
layer fabric
Open width
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 b2
weave with face picks f2 . X

b1

• “X” = face ends raised on face picks f1 X .

• “.” = face ends down on face picks
F1 B2 F1 B2
Tubular fabrics without stitching
Rule-2: Back ends will only b2 . O
weave with back picks f2

b1 O .
• “O” = back ends raised on back picks
f1
• “.“ = back ends down on back picks
F1 B2 F1 B2
Tubular fabrics without stitching
Rule-3: Face ends raised on
b2 a . / O
back picks and back ends
f2 . - X -
lowered on face picks.
b1 / O / .

f1 X - . -
• “/” = face ends raised on back picks
• “-” = back ends down on face picks F1 B2 F1 B2
Tubular fabrics without stitching
• Fabric produced in this way is b2 X . X X
tubular
f2 . . X .

• Two layers each having plain X .

b1 X X
weave
f1 X . . .
• Each layer independent of other.
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

• 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.