NOVEL HOOK AND LOOP TEXTILE PREFORMS FOR LIQUID COMPOSITE MOLDING

FIBER REINFORCED POLYMERIC COMPOSITES CAN REDUCE WEIGHT, INCREASE CRASHWORTHINESS, AND REDUCE CORROSION RELATIVE TO METALS. HOWEVER, LOW COST MANUFACTURING APPROACHES ARE NEEDED IN ORDER FOR THESE MATERIALS TO BE COMPETITIVE IN HIGH VOLUME AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS. LIQUID COMPOSITE MOLDING (LCM) IS RECOGNIZED AS A PROMISING METHOD FOR RAPID, LOW COST FABRICATION. LOW COST, COMPLEX PREFORMS ARE NEEDED FOR LCM. BECAUSE 3D WEAVING OF COMPLEX PARTS IS NOT ECONOMICAL, RESEARCHERS ARE INVESTIGATING ASSEMBLY FROM 2D MATERIALS USING STITCHING, STAPLING, OR BONDING. WE ARE PROPOSING A NEW ALTERNATIVE FOR PREFORM ASSEMBLY. OUR APPROACH USES STANDARD TEXTILE TECHNIQUES TO CREATE THE PREFORM SUBELEMENTS. DURING WEAVING OR BRAIDING OF THE SUBELEMENTS, WE INSERT THROUGH THE THICKNESS FIBERS TO CREATE HOOKS ON ONE SIDE AND LOOPS ON THE OTHER. SEVERALLAYERS OF MATERIAL CAN BE KITTED TOGETHER AND PROCESSED SO THAT THE LAYERS ARE JOINED WITH HOOKS AND LOOPS PROTRUDING ON OPPOSITE SIDES. THE RESULTING BROAD GOOD WILL FORM A GENERAL AREA ATTACHMENTWHEN PLACED TOGETHER WITH OTHER LAYERS OF LIKE MATERIAL. NOT ONLY WILL THIS CREATE A DIMENSIONALLY STABLE PREFORM, ITWILL ALSO RESULT IN A COMPOSITE WITH REINFORCING FIBERS THROUGH THE THICKNESS TO INCREASE TOUGHNESS.