In the field of
composite materials, tufting is an experimental technology to locally reinforce continuous
fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP; also called fibre-reinforced polymer, or in American English ''fiber'') is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually glass (in fibreglass), carbon (in carbon-fib ...
s along the
z-direction, with the objective of enhancing the
shear and
delamination
Delamination is a mode of failure where a material fractures into layers. A variety of materials including laminate composites and concrete can fail by delamination. Processing can create layers in materials such as steel formed by rolling a ...
resistance of the structure.
It consists of inserting a
thread through a layered dry fabric, using a needle that, after insertion, moves back along the same trajectory leaving a loop of the thread on the bottom of the structure. It is a technology developed for and used within the thermoset resin injection manufacturing route, however it is currently being debated whether also
pre-pregs can be successfully tufted. Tufting is considered a more economical and flexible method compared to 3D
weaving or 3D
braid
A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...
ing to include z-fibres in laminated composites.
It resembles
stitching, but it is different in that tufting only requires access from one side of the preform. Depending on the equipment used, all shapes and forms may potentially be reinforced by tufting. The density of z-fibres inserted can vary according to the expected loading pattern. On the other hand, the increase of z-properties in the dry preform is comparably low because tufting comprises no force-fit. Consequently, before consolidation, tufted preforms are not easier to handle than unreinforced ones. In fact the loops can represent an added complexity for the resin infusion process as they can complicate the consolidation of the structure.
See also
*
Z-pinning
*
Plastics
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their Plasticity (physics), plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be Injection moulding, moulded, Extrusion, e ...
References
External links
Cranfield University page with tufting unit description
Composite material fabrication techniques
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