Experimental and numerical investigation of inter-ply shear behavior of 3D woven preform

The inter-ply shear deformation of 3D woven preform is inevitable in the forming process. Numerical simulation of the inter-ply shear process is therefore necessary to establish the high-precision fiber structure model and understand the deformation mechanisms. Here, a research strategy for inter-ply shear behavior of 3D woven preform is proposed. A new fixture is developed for inter-ply shear experiments. The unit cell model of the preform is generated using virtual fibers. Then the inter-ply shear test is replicated through numerical simulation. Micro-CT tests are carried out on the sample before and after inter-ply shear deformation, which confirmed that the virtual fiber model can accurately reproduce the fiber structure and micro-deformation. The virtual experiment results show that the macro-scale inter-ply shear deformation of the preform is composed of several yarn level deformations including the local tension, extrusion and buckling of warp/binder yarns, and slippage between warp and weft yarns.