Weaving of Three-dimensional Fabrics for Preform Construction: Part I: Use of Texturised Glass Yarn

This paper describes the loom manufacture of three-dimensional fabric reinforcements which can then be folded to give near-net-shape preforms. A texturised glass yam was used for this investigation. The paper reports on a method for assessing the effectiveness of the through-the-thickness reinforcement in the fabric structure and, by using this test, compares the interplane strength against the proportion of yam in the Z-direction. It concludes that the amount and method of producing the through-the-thickness element are important.