Development of sensor integrated braiding rings for the automated detection of braiding defects

The quality of braided textiles from reinforcement fibers and the stability of the process can be negatively affected by irregularities that occur during braiding. In order to detect braiding defects in early stages, some monitoring systems are already available. However, stationary sensor systems attached to the body of the braiding machine often come with long response times. Mobile sensors mounted onto the moving bobbin carriers involve the need for as many sensors as braiding yarns and are therefore cost-intensive. The paper at hand introduces and compares two types of newly developed sensor integrated braiding rings which measure radial as well as axial reaction forces as a form of stationary sensor modules (thereby being cost-efficient) which are able to make continuous measurements (thereby realizing short response times). Whereas both types of braiding rings were generally able to indicate the presence of a simulated braiding defect, the ring measuring the axial reaction forces showed a higher sensitivity and was applicable to a wider range of machine parameters.