COMPUTER MODELING OF WOVEN COMPOSITE-MATERIALS

In this paper the reasons for choosing woven fabric reinforcements for composite components are given and the alternatives to woven structures are examined. The philosophy behind the development of the computer-generated model of a woven composite fabric reinforcement is discussed. The model described here is a general one, capable of producing a 3-D representation of any single layer fabric, and has been designed to facilitate manufacture of the weave and also finite element analysis of the finished composite component, as well as providing a very useful visualization of the weave. The model has the potential to be developed along a number of fronts, including improved visualization and extension to 3-D weaves.