Tailored fiber placement for 3D composite marine propeller
National Maritime Research Institute ( NMRI ) in Japan disclose the reinforcing fiber placement method for complex shape composite marine propeller.
Press release can be reviewed on the page below (only in Japanese).
https://www.nmri.go.jp/news/press/press20210122.html
What is NMRI?
NMRI is national academic institution focusing on maritime and ocean technologies, and was established on 1916.
Main topic of the researches relates to marine transport safety.
They have projects, joining with universities.
The summary regarding NMRI can be reviewed on the page below.
https://www.nmri.go.jp/en/about/about.html
Tailored Fiber Placement is originated from embroidery / Photographed by Dominika Roseclay
Tailored fiber placement is applied for preforming of composite propeller
There exist various kinds of embroidery technologies in Japan.
Tailored fiber placement has the origin of this technology.
In the proposed method, first, a newly developed method is used to output a highly accurate planed drawing based on the direction in which the fibers are arranged.
Fibers are fixed on the base materials by embroidery ways, so reinforcement alignment can be kept in a high-level accuracy.
This fiber direction on plain base materials is designed to align in the expected position when it is molded 3 dimensional shapes.
Reinforcement direction is key design parameter to perform mechanical/physical properties when it is molded on 3D shaped composite.
For composite molding, VaRTM will be mainly used for the purpose of resin impregnations after tailored fiber placement is completed.
NMRI demonstrated VaRTM molding by applying reinforcements allied by tailored fiber placement.
Japan has long history of textile industries.
Tailored fiber placement technology would be one of the approaches to apply historical engineering to the latest one.
Reinforcement alignment control would be important for composite design practices.
NMRI is now targeting composite marine propellers, but this approach would be applied to other industrial applications.
