Development of an Automated 2-Step Braiding Machine and the Process Model

In order to increase the preforming speed and to achieve consistent fiber architecture, an automated 2-step braiding machine has been developed. The machine for braiding three-dimensional textile preforms basically consists of a machine bed braider yarn carriers, push and retract units, a take up unit, an axial yarn bed, a power supply, and a controller. In the process model, the height of converging point and the take-up speed of the braid for a requited braiding angle have been determined, and the model predictions are correlated with experimental results. The yarn jamming condition and the braid size have also been determined in the analysis.