Optimization method of carrier capacity for 3D spherical braiding process

The performance of fiber-reinforced composites depends on the structure and continuity of high-performance fiber. However, fiber discontinuities due to insufficient carrier capacity during the braiding process occur frequently, which is a major obstacle to the high quality of preforms. This work proposes a general topology optimization method of carrier capacity to reduce fiber discontinuity due to yarn change. The movement path of the carrier was calculated. Collision detection of the carrier was performed by an interfering judgment between facets. The genetic algorithm was used to find the optimal structural parameter values of the carrier. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, braiding experiments were conducted using optimized carriers. The results show that the optimal carrier capacity of a three-layer spherical braiding machine is 24.3% higher than the carrier currently used. The frequency of yarn changes is significantly reduced, and fiber continuity is effectively ensured. The optimization method can provide reference values of carrier size for different types of braiding equipment, avoiding repeated trial-and-error costs. It can realize high-efficiency production and has great application value.