3D Knitted Composite Panel Preforms Without Seams or Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing fiber reinforced polymer composite panels are labor-intensive, inefficient, and result in significant waste due to the need for multiple materials, seaming, and complex manufacturing processes, which can lead to potential failure points and increased weight in the final product.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a V-bed weft knitting process that integrates multiple materials and structural elements directly into a three-dimensional panel shape, eliminating seams and reducing waste by creating a unitary construction with strategically placed reinforcing fibers and functional components, such as conductive materials, using a dynamic feeding system to manage complex shapes and performance features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional manufacturing methods are used to create fiber reinforced polymer composite panels, then multiple materials and seaming processes are required to achieve complex shapes, but this increases labor intensity, manufacturing complexity, and potential failure points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations (knitting, shaping, and composite formation) into a single integrated process. The knitting machine directly produces three-dimensionally shaped reinforced structures that are then formed into composite panels, eliminating the need for separate seaming and assembly operations while maintaining complex geometric capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The knitting machine is configured to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it knits reinforcing fibers, creates three-dimensional shapes, and produces unitary constructions that serve as both the reinforcement structure and the final panel form, replacing multiple specialized manufacturing steps
2Shape
If traditional cutting and seaming processes are used to manufacture composite panels, then material utilization is improved through precise shaping, but significant waste is generated from cutting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The knitting process preliminary forms the reinforcing structure into its final three-dimensional shape before composite formation, eliminating the need for subsequent cutting operations. The unitary construction is knitted to the exact dimensions and geometry required, preventing material waste from trimming and cutting
Solution Approach 2:
The knitting process inherently produces the final shaped structure without requiring external cutting or trimming operations. The reinforcing fibers are self-configured into the desired panel shape through the knitting process itself, making additional material removal unnecessary
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate materials and components are assembled to create composite panels, then functional features can be strategically placed, but labor costs and assembly time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the placement and integration of multiple functional materials (reinforcing fibers, conductive materials, and other features) into a single knitting process. All materials are simultaneously knitted together in their final positions, eliminating sequential assembly operations and significantly reducing labor costs and assembly time
Solution Approach 2:
All functional materials and structural elements are preliminarily positioned and integrated during the knitting process itself, before composite formation. The knitting machine strategically places different materials in specific locations within the unitary construction, preparing the complete multi-functional structure in one operation
4Shape
If seams and join points are used in composite panel construction, then complex geometries can be assembled from manageable sections, but potential failure points increase at the connection areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple reinforcing sections into a single continuous knitted unitary construction without seams or joins. The knitting process creates an uninterrupted fiber structure that maintains consistent structural integrity throughout the entire panel, eliminating weak points at connection areas while still achieving complex geometries through the knitting pattern itself
Data Source
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AI summary
A knitting method for knitting a polymer reinforcing panel structure to a shape as predefined for a final product. Stiff materials in the form of knitting yarns are knitted on a V-bed weft knitting machine to create a polymer reinforcing panel structure and any additional knitted textile elements with completely finished the edges. The resulting three-dimensional textile element is a unitary construction completed entirely by the knitting machine in the knitting process, and is ready for a subsequent polymer resin application and/or a molding process.