Some recent advances in the fabrication and design of three-dimensional textile preforms: a review

The design of textile composites requires a systematic approach that integrates microstructural design, preform fabrication and composite processing to produce load-bearing structural components with desired fiber architectures and mechanical properties. At the present time, an established integrated approach has yet to be realized; however, towards this end, a substantial body of research has been conducted. The purpose of this review is to detail the progress made toward realizing an integrated approach in the design and manufacture of three-dimensional textile preforms. The survey begins by identifying the recent advances in textile manufacturing with particular attention paid to new developments in multi-axial weaving, multi-axial warp knitting, stitching and braiding along with their potential advantages and limitations. A summary of the various preform manufacturing techniques corresponding to the basic load-bearing structural elements is then given. Additionally, limited examples demonstrating the geometric constraints inherent with these techniques and their associated process windows are discussed. Finally, a brief mention of some of the analytical models developed to predict the thermoelastic properties of three-dimensional textile composites is made.