3D digital image correlation measurements during shaping of a non-crimp 3D orthogonal woven E-glass reinforcement

This paper illustrates a methodology for the characterization of textile composite reinforcements during experimental simulation of forming processes. In particular, being the shear deformation considered as the primary deformation mechanism during shaping, the evolution of shear angle distribution on the reinforcement surface is measured by means of 3D digital image correlation analyses. Two different image correlation software programs, i.e. VIC-3D and MatchID3D, are used to study the forming process of a single layer E-glass non-crimp 3D orthogonal woven reinforcement (commercialized under trademark 3WEAVE® by 3Tex Inc.). The comparison of the displacement and shear angle distributions of the reinforcement, shaped on tetrahedral and double-dome moulds, pointed out a good agreement between the results obtained with both software packages.