Optimization algorithms for mapping three-dimensional woven composite preforms

Manufacturing of composite materials by moulding woven preforms into 3D shapes is getting increasingly popular due to the ability of a woven fabric to undergo complex deformations. However, there are limits to which a woven fabric can be deformed and this reflects in the form of wrinkles or fibre-rich areas which are unacceptable in the final product. The work presented in this paper deals with the algorithms used to find ways and means to remove such problems incurred during mapping. To start with, a strategic location of the starting point to map a woven fabric on the mould surface is found by analysing the surface curvature variation. The starting point and the fabric orientation are then varied to optimise the mapping quality defined in terms of an overall deformation factor or the fibre volume fraction. An algorithm are presented to investigate the fibre-rich areas and to apply local density variations of the yarns to make the fibre distribution more uniform.