Over-braiding or Overweaving—An Alternative Covering Process

Abstract

The following study deals with the synthesis of a specialized drive technology to generate an innovative shifting motion as an alternative covering process. Advantages of the system “Horn” versus the horn gear motion system lie in a gentle and parallel processing of the braiding materials. Simultaneously an increase in the speed of braiding, due to the machine design with a mirror-inverted rotary movement of two rotors, is of great benefit for an economical mass production. The challenge in extrapolating the potential of the system “Horn” for the production of preforms by over-braiding in a circular drive concept with a large opening is to integrate a third yarn system into a laying technique that is gentle to the fibres and technically feasible for processing a triaxial braided structure. For the synthesis of the drive technology and to guarantee an optimal kinematic and parallel transfer of threads, a process-oriented synthesizing method, based on a technology synthesis, was elaborated.