DiscoTex®
The Simple Solution
Technology allowing much easier, low cost fabrication of complex shaped composite structures. It is based on a discontinuous tow reinforcement directions permitting the forming of complex shapes from simple preform starting shapes. Presently available fabrics can conform to simple shapes but will wrinkle and/or distort if made to conform to a complex shape. Using the Pepin technology, complex shaped parts with good mechanical properties can be fabricated at low cost. The concept is based on cutting currently available reinforcing yarns or tows into discrete lengths and aligning these to form a discontinuous tow. This DiscoTex® tow is composed of long, discontinuous and overlapped reinforcing tow segments combined with aligned continuous fiber and an overwrap. The aligned continuous fiber and overwrap fiber are required to handle the DiscoTex® tow during textile operations but they can also be used as the matrix precursor material. In cases where the continuous fiber is not needed in later processing steps it is removed to yield an all discontinuous textile material. Since this textile material is discontinuous it can be stretched in its reinforcement direction allowing complex shapes to be formed easily. A DiscoTex® Fabric for example, can be prepregged or used in an infusion process. A multiple, flat prepreg layup can be formed into a bead stiffened panel in one forming step. DiscoTex™ Preforms which are not impregnated can also be formed. Simple starting shapes such as flat plates, tubes, channels and the like can be formed into more complex shapes such as beaded stiffened panels, tubes with flanges, and curved channels. The DiscoTex® fabric stretching permits the rapid fabrication of complex contours while preserving fiber orientation and fiber volume fraction. Labor intensive cutting and darting of the fabric is eliminated. The DiscoTex® technology is applicable to any type of reinforcing yarns that are of current interest in the composites industry including glass, carbon, and ceramic. This results in a wide range of product options including carbon aircraft structure, glass fiber piping for the chemical industry and ceramic matrix composites for turbine engine hot sections. |
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