3D Woven Textile Manufacturing via Rotating Warp and Moving Weft
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional manufacturing process of woven textile products involves manual cutting and sewing, leading to wastage of fabric and the need for seams, which are undesirable for seamless products that offer better stability, comfort, and insulation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a baseplate with rotating holes for warp yarns, an actuator for moving weft yarns in a circular motion to create a 3D woven textile product without seams, utilizing a controller to coordinate the movement of the baseplate and actuator to weave the yarns alternately at different heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional cutting and sewing methods are used to create woven textile products, then the manufacturing process is simple and familiar, but fabric waste is generated and seams are created which reduce product stability and increase bulkiness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D fabric cutting and sewing to 3D weaving by adding vertical height as a third dimension. The weaving mechanism creates layers of interlaced yarns that build up the product in three dimensions, eliminating the need for separate cutting and sewing operations and reducing fabric waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct functional modules: a baseplate for holding warp yarns, a weaving mechanism for inserting weft yarns, and a control system for coordinating movements. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling automated production.
2Shape
If multiple distinct woven textiles are stitched together to create 3D products, then the product can achieve complex shapes and dimensions, but seams are created which reduce dimensional stability and increase bulkiness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple weaving operations into a single continuous process that creates complex 3D shapes without requiring separate pieces to be stitched together. The weaving mechanism can vary the height and positioning of yarns throughout the process, allowing the creation of complex geometries within a single seamless woven structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The weaving mechanism is designed to be dynamic, allowing real-time adjustment of weft yarn insertion height and positioning. This dynamic capability enables the creation of complex 3D shapes by varying the weaving pattern during production, while maintaining dimensional stability throughout the structure without weak points from seams.
3Ease of operation
If manual cutting and sewing processes are used, then labor flexibility is maintained, but production time increases and labor costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The weaving system is designed to be self-sufficient, with automated mechanisms that perform all weaving operations without manual intervention. The control system coordinates the baseplate rotation, weft yarn insertion, and height adjustment automatically, enabling continuous high-speed production while eliminating the need for manual cutting and sewing operations.
4Ease of manufacture
If seams are used to connect different fabric pieces, then manufacturing is simpler, but thermal protection and insulation are reduced due to gaps at seam lines
Solution Approach 1:
The weaving process creates a continuous, uninterrupted woven structure without gaps or seams. The interlaced yarns form a seamless barrier that provides continuous thermal protection and insulation throughout the entire product surface, eliminating the weak points that would otherwise exist at seam lines where different fabric pieces are joined.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are techniques for creating a three-dimensional woven textile products. A method includes rotating strands of warp yarns, where each strand of warp yarn is in a direction away from a surface, in a circular motion while moving a strand of weft yarn forwards and backwards in a direction parallel to the surface so as to cause the strand of weft yarn to alternately weave in and out of the strands of warp yarn. The method includes moving the strand of weft yarn in a direction away from the surface so as to cause the strand of weft yarn to alternately weave in and out of the strands of warp yarn at a different height to create a three-dimensional woven textile product. The method includes supplying at least one of the strand of warp yarn or the strand of weft yarn with a yarn generator.