8 - Braided natural fiber preforms

Abstract

Two-dimensional braiding is a method of manufacturing fiber composites that are nearly net-shaped, and it is a conveniently automated, versatile, and high deposition rate method for producing continuous textile preforms. Lately, most manufacturing industries have determined a new path and are looking for alternative resources because of environmental concerns. Natural fibers have several advantages over synthetic fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, including being environmentally friendly, having a high strength-to-weight ratio, and requiring less energy to fabricate composites. This makes them a viable alternative to synthetic FRP composites in a variety of engineering applications where load sharing is not critical. An advanced process for the automated production of natural textile preforms for FRP composite applications is the braiding process. In the braiding process for a cylindrical shape with natural fibers, a tube with a defined braiding angle is placed on a near-net-shaped core. The core can also be guided by a robot, enabling integration into an automated production process. Depending on the complexity and size of the preform, the production time for a component takes fewer minutes compared to the other production methods (e.g., single filament winding). In the braiding process, two natural fiber yarn systems are guided on counter-rotating sinusoidal circular paths, with the yarn accumulators interlacing alternately according to a predetermined pattern (e.g., 1×1 Diamond, 2×2 Regular, 3×3 Hercules). The braided natural fiber preform can be impregnated with the desired resin system and consolidated in a resin injection process.