Mapping of preform architecture for textile reinforced composite products

In this paper, a technique is developed to map the internal fabric preform structure of textile composite products. This technique is based on physical serial sectioning of the composite product. Image analysis and manual yarn recognition are used to identify yarn location in each section. Image stereology is utilized to reconstruct the fabric preform in 3-D space. Data regarding average yarn orientation throughout the composite part are then extracted. This technique is applied to map the internal fabric preform structure of a proprietary textile reinforced composite product. Experimental work points to locations of fabric distortions that occur during the composite product manufacture. This technique could be extended to evaluate the effect of these distortions on the final composite properties.