A review of numerical analyses and experimental characterization methods for forming of textile reinforcements

The forming of textile reinforcements is an important stage in the manufacturing of textile composite parts with Liquid Composite Molding process. Fiber orientations and part geometry obtained from this stage have significant impact on the subsequent resin injection and final mechanical properties of composite part. Numerical simulation of textile reinforcement forming is in strong demand as it can greatly reduce the time and cost in the determination of the optimized processing parameters, which is the foundation of the low-cost application of composite materials. This review presents the state of the art of forming modeling methods for textile reinforcement and the corresponding experimental characterization methods developed in this field. The microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic models are discussed. Studies concerning the simulation of wrinkling are also presented since it is the most common defect occurred in the textile reinforcement forming. Finally, challenges and recommendations on the future research directions for textile reinforcement modeling and experimental characterization are provided.