Modelling the seam architectures for textile performing
Sewing of textile preforms offers a lot of opportunities for the future production of FRP parts. Although out of plane properties and damage tolerance abilities of the preform improve by stitching, stitching degrades the in plane properties of the preform. The choice of material and process parameters is crucial to realise the benefits of stitching. This demands modelling and simulation of stitched textile structures. Currently simple textile structures like multi layer woven fabrics and multi layer non-crimp fabrics can be modelled. This paper shows a concept for a mathematical modelling of stitching architectures including the generation of the thread surfaces. The model can help in realising two functions. On the one hand different material and process parameters can be taken into account and on the other hand the computed surface description including geometrical dependencies can be transferred into a structural mechanic model (e.g. WiseTex).
Carbon composites based on multiaxial multiply stitched preforms. Part 1. Geometry of the preform
Experimental investigation of the internal geometry of a multiaxial multiply carbon reinforcement, stitched by warp-knitting, reveals the general features of this promising class of textile reinforcements. The uniform placement of the fibres is disturbed by the stitching, which creates resin-rich zones in the composite. The shape of the stitching loops, change of the stitching yarn thickness along the loop and statistical characteristics of spacing of the stitching has been studied. These features are covered by a descriptive empirical model of the internal geometry of multiaxial multiply fabrics. The model is implemented in the textile modelling software WiseTex, which serves as a preprocessor for meso-mechanics and permeability modelling.
Determination of Optimal Ball-Burnishing Parameters for Plastic Injection Moulding Steel
The objective of this study is to determine the optimal plane ball-burnishing parameters for plastic injection moulding steel PDS5 on a machining centre by utilising the Taguchi’s orthogonal array method. The design and manufacture of a burnishing tool are described. Four burnishing parameters, namely the ball material, burnishing speed, burnishing force and feed, were selected as the experimental factors in Taguchi’s design of experiments to determine the optimal burnishing parameters which have the dominant influence on surface roughness. The optimal burnishing parameters were found after carrying out the experiments specified by Taguchi’s L18 orthogonal table, by the analysis of variation, and by a full factorial experiment. The optimal plane burnishing parameters for the plastic injection moulding steel PDS5 were a combination of a tungsten carbide ball, a burnishing speed of 200 mm/min, a burnishing force of 300 N and a feed of 40 μm. The surface roughness Ra of the specimen can be improved from about 1 μm to 0.07 μm by using the optimal burnishing parameters for plane burnishing.