Internal Geometry of Structurally Stitched Ncf Preforms

Internal geometry of a textile reinforcement is an important factor of the reinforcement performance during the composite manufacturing and service life. In this article, generalized geometrical models of structural stitching loops are presented for the sewing, tufting, and dual-needle stitching methods. The term 'structural' presumes here that the stitching yarn does not only consolidate the plies (as the non-structural one does) but forms also a through-the-thickness (3D) reinforcement. The models account for the general features of the yarn loop geometry and are believed to allow for enough precise modelling on the mesoscale (textile unit cell) level. The modelling approach is validated with experimental data.