Construction of a flagship capability that will take carbon fibre weaving to a new level is gathering pace at the University of Sheffield AMRC Composite Centre (www.amrc.co.uk).

A 3-D weaving loom and Jacquard is the centrepiece of ‘state of the art’ equipment purchased by the AMRC following a successful bid for funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute.

The loom is accompanied by a braiding system, tailored fibre placement, a high-temperature high-tension filament winder, a stitching robot, a tow-spreading machine and robotic end effectors for automated handling.

This equipment will be used to manufacture pre-forms and to develop the enabling technology for commercialisation — including joining, automation and impregnation.

Chris McHugh, dry-fibre development manager at the AMRC Composite Centre, said that this opens up a new range of opportunities for producing very complex carbon fibre pre-forms.

“It will take carbon fibre weaving to a new dimension. This equipment will play a key part in the next generation of lightweighting material for aerospace and automotive applications, taking a multi-material multi-process approach to pre-forming.”