Forming Rigid Fibre Assemblies: The Interaction of Textile Technology and Composites Engineering

Developments in fibres, matrices, and composites manufacturing are reviewed, with particular attention to textile methods. Although the textile manufacturing processes are more complex than injection moulding and laminating, they have advantages in greater control of fibre placement and in ease of handling preforms. 3-D shell structures can be made by various methods, including knitting, weaving, and braiding, but the most important development is in 3-D integrated structures. The methods include false interlacing by winding, stitching, and the true textile interlacing of 3-D weaving and braiding. The research challenge involves problems of topology and geometry, structural mechanics, engineering machinery, and software.