3D複合織物布料的優點
複合織物的三維（3D）編織可以生產複雜的單件結構，其結構堅固且重量輕。與傳統的二維（2D）織物相比，3D織造減輕了重量，消除了2D織物經常出現的分層，降低了裂縫風險，並縮短了生產時間。 3D複合織物布料還可以直接或間接的達到製造和運營成本降低。
什麼是3D編織？
大多數織物是以兩個維度編織的 - X軸（長度）和Y軸（寬度）。 3D編織織物包括立體厚度編織或所謂的Z軸編織。這產生了複雜的單件結構。
傳統織布機是織造布料的主要工具。重統織機的原理幾乎與布要的文明歷史本身一樣古老，是織造2D織物的理想機器，用於製造包括織帶、彈性帶、布料等。但是，編織3D布料就需要更大規模的工具。
1991年，Bally Ribbon Mills（BRM）獲得了美國空軍研究實驗室的一份研究合約，該合約使該公司開始開發3D編織所需的技術。研究並最終構建出全球第一台全自動3D偏置織機，提供BRM開發其他3D織物複合材料的知識和經驗基礎，包括：正交板、熱保護系統、近淨形和復雜的網狀預製件航空航天、汽車、建築、軍事和安全行業。
3D編織的好處
3D編織是一種新興技術，與2D複合材料生產和更傳統的建築材料（如鋼和鋁）相比，它具有多種優勢。主要優點包括減輕重量、消除分層、降低裂縫風險、縮短生產時間和降低成本。
減輕重量
3D編織複合材料比金屬結構輕得多。這與航空航天業尤其相關。從飛機上節省的每磅重量估計可以使該飛機的運營商在該飛機的使用壽命期間節省大約100萬美元的運營費用，主要是燃料費用。在飛機設計中智能地利用3D編織複合結構可以將飛機重量減輕多達30％，從而節省大量的運營成本。
消除分層撥離
當2D織物複合物的兩層或更多層彼此分開或分層時就會容易發生分層撥離。分層撥離破壞了布料本身的強度和可靠性，就必須更換以防止損壞和嚴重的安全問題。分層撥離是2D複合材料損壞的主要原因。
3D編織產生近淨形複合結構，其通過其紗線完全互連，而不是2D複合材料，其包括人工貼合在一起的許多不同材料層。這意味著3D機織複合材料不存在分層風險，確保它們保持強度和可靠性。
降低裂縫風險
2D貼合複合材料易於開裂，特別是在具有彎曲的結構中，例如T形結構。由於層中的曲率限制，許多2D形狀在接縫和交叉點中具有相當大的間隙。這些空間和口袋通常填充樹脂，樹脂可能會破裂。
3D編織複合材料，即使是複雜的形狀，也沒有空口袋，因為它們的結構完整性沿著所有三個軸延伸。因此3D機織複合材料的裂縫率遠低於2D貼合複合材料。
降低生產時間
2D複合材料生產是一個漫長而精確的過程。許多2D材料層是單獨或以較大的形式編織的，然後切割成一定尺寸。然後用某些樹脂預浸漬這些層，使它們成為所謂的“預浸料”材料。然後將這些材料堆疊並在稱為合股的過程中成形為必要的形式。合股通常無法在自動化狀態下完成的，而且價格昂貴且非常耗時。然後通過注入另外的樹脂將這些層層壓在一起形狀 - 一些工藝和結構甚至需要在層壓之前將材料層縫合在一起。最後，將結構設定一段時間，在此期間樹脂固化。
在結構適當固化後，需要進一步加工以形成成品。所需的二次加工工藝可包括切削、刮削、砂磨、去毛刺和鑽孔。
相比之下，複合結構的3D編織更簡單，更快速且更具成本效益。與2D織機類似，3D織造織機沿X和Y軸編織緯紗和經紗。 3D織機的不同之處在於，織物不是沿Y軸延續，而是垂直構建 - 緯紗和經紗不僅在一個平面上編織在一起，而且一個平面與下一個平面編織在一起。
除了設計需要高技術設計工程師的3D編織外，3D編織工藝完全自動化並產生淨形狀或近淨形狀部件。儘管3D編織過程的複雜性增加，但這大大節省了製造時間。
通過以3D形式編織整個結構，完全消除了緩慢且昂貴的合股過程 - 製造2D層壓複合結構的最長和最昂貴的部分 - 顯著加速了生產並降低了成本。
成本
利用3D編織複合結構代替傳統的金屬或2D層壓複合材料，可以通過製造工藝和產品的使用壽命節省成本。自動3D編織技術和近淨形狀功能可降低直接人工和二次加工成本。
節省運營成本可節省間接成本，例如減少燃料。此外，由於3D編織複合材料比2D層壓複合材料更堅固，更有彈性，更不容易破損，因此可以更換頻繁，降低更換和維護成本。
取代傳統的金屬或2D複合材料可以帶來好處
利用3D編織複合結構代替傳統的金屬或2D層壓複合材料，可以通過製造工藝和產品的使用壽命節省成本。
以上內容由
ACOTEX服裝布料知識網編輯翻譯
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Benefits of 3D Woven Composite Fabrics
Three-dimensional (3D) weaving of composite fabrics can produce complex, single-piece structures that are strong and lightweight. Compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) fabrics, 3D weaving reduces weight, eliminates the delamination often experienced with 2D fabrics, reduces crack risks, and lowers production time. 3D fabrics also offer direct and indirect manufacturing and operational cost reductions.
What is 3D weaving?
Most fabrics are woven in two dimensions – the X axis (length) and the Y axis (width). 3D woven fabrics include weaving through the thickness, or the Z axis. This produces complex, single-piece structures.
Looms are the primary tool for weaving fabrics. Nearly as old as civilization itself, looms are ideal machines for weaving 2D fabrics, including webbing, straps, belts, and tapes. However, they cannot weave 3D fabrics without extensive tooling.
In 1991, Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) received a research contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory that started the company on the path to developing the requisite technology for 3D weaving. The experience gained from researching and ultimately building the first fully automated 3D bias loom, gave BRM the knowledge and experience to develop other 3D woven composites, including: orthogonal panels, thermal protection systems, near-net-shape, and complex net shape preforms for the aerospace, automotive, construction, military, and safety industries.
Benefits of 3D weaving
3D weaving is an emerging technology that offers a variety of benefits over both 2D composite production and more traditional building materials, like steel and aluminum. The key benefits include weight reduction, elimination of delamination, reduced crack risk, lower production time, and cost reduction.
Weight Reduction
3D woven composites are drastically lighter than metal structures. This is particularly relevant to the aerospace industry. Every pound of weight saved from an aircraft is estimated to save the aircraft’s operator roughly $1 million in operating expenses, primarily fuel, over that aircraft’s lifetime. Smart utilization of 3D woven composite structures in aircraft design can reduce the weight of an aircraft by up to 30 percent, resulting in considerable operational cost savings.
Elimination of delamination
Delamination occurs when two or more layers of a 2D woven composite come apart, or delaminate, from each other. Delamination undermines the strength and reliability of the part, which must be replaced to prevent damage and severe safety issues. Delamination is the primary cause of damage to 2D laminated composites.
3D weaving produces near-net-shape composite structures that are fully interconnected by their yarn, as opposed to 2D composites, which include a number of different layers of materials artificially bonded together. This means there is no risk of delamination in 3D woven composites, ensuring they retain strength and reliability.
Reduced crack risk
2D laminated composites are prone to cracking, especially in structures with bends, such as T-shaped structures. Due to curvature limitations in the layers, many 2D shapes have considerable gaps in joints and intersections. These spaces and pockets are often filled with resin, which can crack.
3D woven composites, even in complex shapes, have no empty pockets, as their structural integrity extends along all three axes. Crack rates in 3D woven composites are therefore far lower than in 2D laminated composites.
Lower production times
2D composite production is a long and precise process. Numerous layers of 2D material are woven, either individually or in larger format and then cut to size. These layers are then pre-impregnated with certain resins, making them what are known as “prepreg” materials. These materials are then stacked and shaped into the requisite form in a process known as plying. Plying is often done by hand and is expensive and extremely time consuming. The layers are then laminated together in shape by infusion with additional resins – some processes and structures even require the material layers to be stitched together prior to lamination. Finally, the structure is set for a period of time, during which the resins cure.
After the structures are properly cured, further machining is required to form a finished product. Required secondary machining processes can include cutting, scraping, sanding, deburring, and drilling.
By contrast, 3D weaving of composite structures is simpler, faster, and more cost efficient. Similar to 2D looms, 3D weaving looms weave weft and warp yarns along the X and Y axis. The difference in a 3D loom is that instead of the fabric continuing along the Y axis, it builds upon itself vertically – weft and warp yarns are not only woven together on one plane, but one plane is woven together with the next.
Aside from designing a 3D weave, which requires highly skilled design engineers, the 3D weaving process is fully automated and results in net shape or near net shape parts. This dramatically reduces manufacturing time despite the increased complexity of the 3D weaving process.
By weaving entire structures in 3D, the slow and costly plying process – the longest and most costly portion of manufacturing a 2D laminated composite structure – is completely eliminated, significantly speeding production and lowering cost.
Cost
Utilizing 3D woven composite structures in place of traditional metal or 2D laminated composites can provide cost savings through both the manufacturing process and the product’s operational lifetime. Automated 3D weaving technology and near net shape capabilities reduce direct labor and secondary machining costs.
Indirect cost savings result from operational cost savings, for example reduced fuel. In addition, because 3D woven composites are stronger, more resilient, and less prone to breakage than 2D laminated composites, they can be replaced much less often, reducing replacement and maintenance costs.
Examples of 3D weaving applications
Using polymer composites within aircraft engines has long been a challenge, thanks to the high temperatures and complex geometries involved in aircraft engine manufacture. Polymer composites are desirable, though, because as stated above, the aviation industry is constantly looking to reduce aircraft weight and increase fuel efficiency. Replacing traditional titanium components with carbon fiber composites in large engine parts serves to reduce weight, as these composite components are significantly lighter than comparable components in metal. In addition, composite engine parts reduce the noise level of an aircraft engine.
3D weaving has been particularly successful in advancing aviation heat shield technology. Thermal protection systems (TPS) are mission-critical components in space exploration vehicles. The ability to vary yarn types, density, thickness, and width, as well as resin type, allows for the creation of a fully customizable TPS to fit specific mission needs. Quartz compression pads, for example, have been woven by BRM for the Orion capsule in order to ensure structural strength during launch and heat resistance during re-entry. Additionally, NASA’s Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET) program is developing a carbon TPS for extreme entries, intended to be capable of surviving the challenging environments of Saturn or Venus. Both these technologies are being developed through extensive additional research, but both rely on the basic principles and strengths of 3D weaving.
Along with thick panels and engine parts, 3D woven components also function well in joining two structures together. Because of the nature of the 3D weave, strength and support is translated in all three dimensions, thus enabling the join to reinforce the strength along the load paths of the sub-structures being joined together. These 3D woven shapes for joining can be tailored to suit the architecture of the structure itself, as well as the sub-components being joined.
Replacing traditional metal or 2D composites provides benefits
Utilizing 3D woven composite structures in place of traditional metal or 2D laminated composites can provide cost savings through both the manufacturing process and a product’s operational lifetime.
Original Article:
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