Aspects of the stitch formation process on the quality of sewn multi-textile-preforms

Stitching technologies are considered to be one of the key technologies for automated manufacturing of complex textile preforms which are used for liq uid composite moulding of fibre reinforced plastic parts [Proceedings of Si xth International Conference on Automated Composites (1999)]. The sewing or stitching process is applied for different purposes during the production of dry fibrous reinforcements as well as for structural aims in the composi te component (through-the-thickness reinforcement), thus, the requirements on the stitch itself are wide spread [Complex Multi-textile Preforms - The Potential of Sewing. 90(4) (2000) 43; Stress Conc Compos Sci Technol, 59 (1 999) 2125; Tech Textiles 43 (2000) 120; Compos Part A 31 (2000) 57 t -, D 8 2 Dissertation RWTH Aaachen (1999)]. A detailed prediction of properties of the stitched reinforcements requires an understanding of the stitch format ion process and the interaction between textile reinforcements, the stackin g sequence thereof, the stitching process parameters and sewing thread prop erties. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.