3D Textiles Based on Warp Knitted Fabrics: A Review

Abstract

Fibre-reinforced composites (FRCs) are already well established in several industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, plant engineering, shipbuilding and construction. The technical advantages of FRCs over metallic materials are well researched and proven. The key factors for an even wider industrial application of FRCs are the maximisation of resource and cost efficiency in the production and processing of the textile reinforcement materials. Due to its technology, warp knitting is the most productive and therefore cost-effective textile manufacturing process. In order to produce resource-efficient textile structures with these technologies, a high degree of prefabrication is required. This reduces costs by reducing the number of ply stacks, and by reducing the number of extra operations through final path and geometric yarn orientation of the preforms. It also reduces waste in post-processing. Furthermore, a high degree of prefabrication through functionalisation offers the potential to extend the application range of textile structures as purely mechanical reinforcements by integrating additional functions. So far, there is a gap in terms of an overview of the current state-of-the-art of relevant textile processes and products, which this work aims to fill. The focus of this work is therefore to provide an overview of warp knitted 3D structures.

Robot-Assisted Manufacturing Technology for 3D Non-Metallic Reinforcement Structures in the Construction Applications

“…Buildings 2023, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 17 dustrial robots also need to be brought to life for the implementation of novel design principles in the construction industry for component manufacturing (e.g., reinforcement production or concreting) [15]. Currently, different robot-assisted yarn deposition technologies are being developed for the production of textile reinforcement structures for the construction industry or fiber reinforced plastics for the composites market.…”

“…The ability to produce geometrically sophisticated, branched, and complex topologies attests to the potential of textile-reinforced concrete [5]. In the case of three-dimensional (and inner-branched) non-metallic (textile) reinforcements, conventional textile manufacturing processes cannot offer a flexibly adaptable machine technology in order to produce these textile structures without time-consuming machine and process modifications as well as rework and significant material waste [14,15]. As traditional textile reinforcement manufacturing technologies (e.g., multiaxial warp knitting), which produce grid-like reinforcement mats in a highly productive manner, reach their geometric manufacturing limits, novel machine concepts involving six-axis in- New materials combined with novel manufacturing processes can enable new designs and types of construction [12,13].…”

“…In the case of three-dimensional (and inner-branched) non-metallic (textile) reinforcements, conventional textile manufacturing processes cannot offer a flexibly adaptable machine technology in order to produce these textile structures without time-consuming machine and process modifications as well as rework and significant material waste [14,15]. As traditional textile reinforcement manufacturing technologies (e.g., multiaxial warp knitting), which produce grid-like reinforcement mats in a highly productive manner, reach their geometric manufacturing limits, novel machine concepts involving six-axis industrial robots also need to be brought to life for the implementation of novel design principles in the construction industry for component manufacturing (e.g., reinforcement production or concreting) [15]. Currently, different robot-assisted yarn deposition technologies are being developed for the production of textile reinforcement structures for the construction industry or fiber reinforced plastics for the composites market.…”

Parameter study and development of a warp knitting yarn compensation unit as basis for the realisation of contour-accurate non-crimp fabrics: a step towards for highly material efficient non-crimp fabrics

“…Yet, for material efficiency, NCFs must have reinforcement thread lengths and densities adapted to component contours and loads to reduce waste and oversizing. Current technological approaches have begun adapting reinforcement thread lengths in the weft and warp direction to match component contours [14][15][16].…”