Production and

Applications of MultiLayer 3D Fabrics

Muhammad Nadeem Shuakat
And Xungai Wang
Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University,
Geelong, VIC 3217, Australia

What are
Composites?
formed by intimately combining

Materials
discrete physical
phases to get superior
constituents.
Common examples are

properties

of

two or more
the

individual

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

Value
US$ mn

Volume
000 tons

Value
US$ mn

Oekotech
Mobiltech
Indutech
Sporttech
Buildtech

287
2828
2624
1153
2033

1039
26861
16687
16052
7296

400
3338
3257
1382
2591

1389
29282
21528
19062
9325

Hometech
Clothtech
Meditech
Agrotech
Protech
Packtech
Geotech

2499
1413
1928
1615
279
2990
319

7622
7014
6670
6568
5873
5329
927

2853
1656
2380
1958
340
3606
413

8778
8306
8238
8079
6857
6630
1203

Total

19681

106899

23774

127288

Textile Reinforcement Structures

Textile
Reinforcement
Structures

3-D Textile
composite
preforms

Laminated composite
preforms

Braidin
g

Knittin
g

Weavi
ng

NonWoven

Braidin
g

Knitting

Weaving

NonWoven

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 dont 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 dont require extra investment
for machines.
At present, we dont 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
Simultaneously Machines
multi-picking

Higher production rates.

Possibility of inserting different materials in
different sheds.

Types of Multi-Layer Fabrics

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

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

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

f2
b1
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

f2

b1

f1

F1

B2

F1

B2

Tubular fabrics without

stitching
Fabric produced in this way is
tubular

b2

f2

Two layers each having plain

weave

b1

f1

F1

B2

F1

B2

Each layer independent of

other.

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
Compositematerialsarereplacing
conventionalwoodenmaterialsto
makesticksandracketslighter
Givingsportsmenmorefreedomof
movementwithaddedstrength.
Sportbicyclemanufacturersare
usingcompositestoreduceweight.
Givingusermorefreedominterms
ofspeedwithaddedsafety.

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

THANKS