A Comparison of Helical Filament Winding and 2D Braiding of Fiber Reinforced Polymeric Components

Abstract

The processes of helical filament winding and 2D braiding can be used to produce a wide variety of similar fibre reinforced polymeric components yet they are inherently very different. Their capabilities and limitations related to mandrel design, modeling of mandrel surface, fibre path prediction, manufacturability and structural analysis are reviewed. In order to illustrate the differences between the two processes in terms of fibre path prediction and mandrel coverage, a generic axisymmetric component is evaluated. A limited structural analysis is also carried out for this component highlighting the variations in thickness and tensile load capability for the two processes. Key manufacturing aspects of fibre tensioning, resin impregnation and process hybridization are also discussed. Finally, a comparison of process speeds is presented for a simple cylindrical tube.