Modeling anisotropic friction in triaxial overbraiding simulations

Triaxial overbraiding is a highly intricate textile manufacturing process that involves interlacing yarns in three directions, enhancing reinforcement of the final composite compared to biaxial braids. Predictive process simulation is a cost-effective approach to optimizing the manufacturing process. Previous research on biaxial overbraiding simulations indicates that yarn-yarn friction has a significant effect on the braid angle and convergence zone length. This study presents an extended yarn interaction model; it utilizes a fast frontal approach and a Eulerian on Lagrangian method to simulate the complex interlacing of multiple yarns in triaxial overbraiding, including yarn-yarn and yarn-ring friction. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of UD yarn tension on the convergence zone length and braid angle, and to validate the simulations. The model validation shows that a recently proposed anisotropic yarn-yarn friction model predicts braid angle more accurately than an isotropic friction model.