Integral manufacturing of 3D rib-stiffened preforms based on multi-layer weft-knitted fabrics

摘要

Throughout past decades, the demand for fiber-reinforced plastic composites (FRPC) has drastically increased, particularly in leading economic and technological sectors, e.g. automotive, mechanical, plant, and aircraft engineering. For instance, global consumption of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) has been rapidly growing since 2010, thus resulting in annual growth rates of approx. 12% [1]. One reason for this rapid development is the rising popularity of lightweight engineering solutions that allow for considerably reduced masses that are set in motion, and therefore a significant increase in energy efficiency.