Structures based on three dimensional (3-D) preforms, such as 3-D braids, multiaxial warp knits, and 3-D woven and orthogonal fabrics, exhibit superior performance in the areas of thermal and mechanical properties. Yet, 3-D textile composites are only used in research studies, with wide scale industrial applications being virtually non existent. The limited exposure of these materials is due to low production rates, high production costs, and inconsistencies in properties. Full automation of the preform production process, specifically through computer aided manufacturing (CAM), is thought to be one way to bring these variables into the acceptable ranges.
| Number of Pages : | 10 |
| Published : | 06/01/1997 |
