A Modeling Framework for Staple Yarn Formation and Fabric Structure Evolution

Staple yarns are formed by twisting assemblies of discontinuous fibers and exhibit high axial strength and radial compliance, making them widely used in textile applications. However, the microscale nature and random distribution of staple fibers make yarn formation difficult to characterize at the fiber level. In this study, a fiber-scale modeling framework is proposed to simulate staple yarn formation and woven fabric construction. A generative adversarial network model is employed to generate crimped fiber configurations, followed by twisting and weaving simulations to reconstruct the fiber-scale structures of staple yarns and woven fabrics. The proposed framework reproduces fiber migration, twist propagation, and fiber entanglement during yarn formation, and is further extended to construct homogeneously blended and segmented blended yarns and their corresponding woven fabrics. Good agreement is achieved between the simulated and experimental structures in terms of fiber distribution, microstructural morphology, and fabric texture. This work provides an effective framework for the fiber-scale digital modeling of staple yarns and woven fabrics, facilitating structural design and performance prediction.