Rapid Assembly of Fiber Preforms Using 3d Woven Components

3D weaving is a manufacturing technique for producing near net shape fiber preforms. These preforms can be processed into composite components using liquid molding techniques such as resin transfer molding (RTM) or the vacuum assisted process (VAP). One of the main advantages of 3D woven preforms is that the touch labor required to assemble them is minimal, leading to rapid and highly automated preform construction. This paper describes an application which uses 3D woven preforms as building blocks in a more complicated fiber preform assembly. Details of the construction of the individual 3D woven preforms, their assembly into larger preforms, and estimates of labor savings relative to conventional laminated construction are discussed.