Current state of the art within textile truss structures requires a variety of production, assembly and joining processes to conclude in a fully integrated truss configuration. This approach sees the joining and bonding of separate struts to node parts. The node is the connecting area which accommodates the strut-to-strut intersections. A production process of separate truss components (struts and nodes) inherently has constraints, such as increased labour, bonding issues and longevity of product. In the development of a fully integrated textile truss, the utilisation of conventional weaving technology and production principles allowed the development of the three-dimensional woven nodal truss structure. The three-dimensional woven nodal truss structure’s node and nodal segmentation, defined by boundary lines provided defined areas within the weaving width, length and depth for the assignment of weave architectures. The commonalities within the production of varying strut-to-strut intersections and strut-to-strut variable dimensions within a T-shaped and K-shaped nodal configuration provide the foundations for the development of elementary nodes for other three-dimensional woven nodal truss structures. The development of the generic procedure and application of the three-dimensional-to-two-dimensional-to-three-dimensional nodal structure production process and elementary nodes will be presented within this article.
Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) are extensively applied in the fashion industry to increase efficiency and save time and labour cost. Two of the drivers for re-engineering the current manufacturing approach of sportswear are to reduce material waste and to improve the comfort of sports bras. This research bridges the 3D anthropometry with technical 3D seamless weaving techniques exploiting cross-platform software technology—3D reverse engineering system, 2D CAD clothing system and textile CAD/CAM system—to develop seamless woven sports bra cups. The flattened 2D geometry pattern, obtained with segmentations and artificial boundary lines, was used in the weaving process, and the final woven sample proved the geometric and digital methodological feasibility.
There are various manufacturing processes for the interlacement of yarns to produce three-dimensional (3D) fabric structures as preforms for textile composites. The manufacturing route is determined by the end-use of composites and therefore the composite industry does not solely rely on one method but a selection of methods for fabric formation. This paper attempts to make a comprehensive overview on fabrication methods that can be used for making 3D textile woven preforms for composites. There are many different views on what 3D woven fabrics are, but one common understanding is that 3D fabrics must have substantial dimension in the thickness direction formed by layers of fabrics or yarns. In this paper we classify 3D woven textiles into those that can be manufactured on the conventional weaving technology and those that require specially made weaving machines/devices. This paper attempts to provide useful information for both the textile and composite engineers in developing textile composites for advanced applications.
The integrated three-dimensional (3D) woven nodal structure (3DWNS) is regarded as one category of 3D textile structure, and it has potential applications for creating lightweight composite truss structures. The conventional weaving technology has been adapted for the manufacture of a variety of 3DWNS’s. This allows the production, in the woven fabric plane, of either a two-dimensional (2D) flat solid form, or a 2D-shaped woven preform. Once the woven 2D form is removed from the tensions of the loom enables the transition from 2D into a 3D woven structure (2D-to-3D). This article introduces an innovative approach based on the conventional weaving principles for creating a fully integrated 3DWNS in a T-shape (T-3DWNS). This fabrication method provided the forming of a node point without distortion, whilst maintaining the circumference of the adjoining child strut to a main/parent strut. This eliminated the need for further joining processes to bond the truss structure together, providing a fully integrated and lighter textile truss structure for composites engineering. This article defines the design parameters and range of specifications for the production of the T-3DWNS and introduces derivative configurations for future development.
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