Construction and analysis of three-dimensional woven composite materials

Composite materials incorporating 3-D woven textile reinforcements have potential for applications in structural components. This paper examines the construction, manufacture and analysis of three-dimensional woven carbon fibre composites as a means of providing data for the validation of a CAD/CAM system for the design of engineering components. In order to achieve the high volume fractions and low void content required for aerospace applications, accurate positioning of yarns within the preform and the design of the moulding tool were crucial while the autoclave processing conditions required modification. The study demonstrates that 3-D woven structures can be successfully converted into complex composite components and provides valuable data for a future knowledge based design and manufacturing system.