Thermoplastic Composites for Integrally Woven Pressure Actuated Cellular Structures: Design Approach and Material Investigation

The use of pressure-actuated cellular structures (PACS) is an effective approach for the application of compliant mechanisms. Analogous to the model in nature, the Venus flytrap, they are made of discrete pressure-activated rows and can be deformed with high stiffness at a high deformation rate. In previous work, a new innovative approach in their integral textile-based manufacturing has been demonstrated based on the weaving technique. In this work, the theoretical and experimental work on the further development of PACS from simple single-row to double-row PACS with antagonistic deformation capability is presented. Supported by experimental investigations, the necessary adaptations in the design of the textile preform and the polymer composite design are presented and concretized. Based on the results of pre-simulations of the deformation capacity of the new PACS, their performance was evaluated, the results of which are presented.

A Non-Continuum Model of Aligned, Long Fiber Composite Textile Preform Tensile Response

Stretch-broken fiber preforms provide composites with post-formable characteristics that may reduce the costs of manufacturing complex shapes. Research into fiber preform production methods provides a fiber length and dispersion predictor that is then used to predict forming inputs required to excite tensile elongation of the preform under the influence of various boundary conditions common to sheet-based forming. Fiber behavior is discussed separately from the influence of liquid-phase matrix material. A comparison is made between model results and tensile response measurements of performs for polyarylate-matrix composites.