Modelling, evaluation and manufacture of woven composite materials

In this paper, a generic system for designing, displaying and weaving any chosen single-layer or multi-layer weave structure is demonstrated. It involves assembling the chosen weave structure from a series of prepared building blocks. Each block comprises a warp yarn and a weft yarn at right angles. A computer program has been developed to generate single- and multi-layer weave structures with varying dimensions, such as warp and weft separations (ends and picks per centimetre), the aspect ratios of the cross-sections of the warp and weft yarns, and the distance between the layers. Included in the program is the facility to automatically produce any of the weave structures on a loom by the generation of an output file containing data on the required weave structure. This is then converted into the loom code needed to weave the fabric using the SCOTWEAVE design and weaving package for Jacquard looms. The design, visualization and weaving system is illustrated using a five-end satin weave structure and an evaluation of the system carried out. Hence, we now have the facility to select blocks to (a) generate a multi-layer weave structure for visualization, (b) produce data to generate the woven fabric and (c) produce the required fabric on a computer-controlled Jacquard loom.