Comprehensive drape modelling for moulding 3D textile preforms

A comprehensive drape model has been developed to deal with a range of 3D surfaces, from simple open surfaces to closed tubular sections with 3D bends. Existing drape algorithms, developed mainly for broadcloth composites, cannot cope with closed sections. These algorithms consider the woven fabric as a network of linkages with pin joints and perform kinematic mapping by solving a set of sphere-intersection equations. This method of kinematic drape assumes only in-plane shear deformation and hence cannot be readily applied to a number of 3D shapes, involving other modes of deformation. In the present work, a kinematic mapping algorithm was implemented at first and subsequently modified to drape two-layer tapered preforms to open surfaces. Following this work, a more general algorithm was developed to drape closed preforms on bent tubes, which the authors believe to be the first such attempt. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.