Fabric Testing

Introduction

Testing of woven fabrics for the purpose of defining material constitutive models in finite element analysis is generally about defining the overall behavior of the fabric so as the smear the detailed interactions between the individual fibers. Basic measurements are made for woven materials in tension and variations are made for specific material models relating to products such as air bags or rubber embedded fabric layers.

At Axel, most fabric experiments involve wide specimens and the using of imaging to track displacement points on the specimen surface. From these measurements we extract an effective modulus or Poisson's ratio in the warp, weft or 45 degree orientations.

Typical Plastic Experiments:

  • Fabric Tensile Test with Imaging
  • Fabric Specimen Preparation




    • Related Information

  • Other Downloads

    • Image of woven fabric test specimen in a test instrument with strain dots for bias measurement.
    Woven Fabric with Displacement Markers

    Fabric Tensile Test with Imaging

    The tensile test is performed by straining the fabric in one direction such that the sides if the specimen are free to contract. The geometry and orientation of the fabric are critical parameters and the region of interest is typically in a region away from the gripping.

     

    Image of fabric in tensile tester with video strain measurement.
    Woven Fabric with Imaging System and Test Frame

    Fabric Specimen Preparation

    Preparing the test specimens of woven fabrics can be very tricky. A simple yet specialized cutting system is in place to help with this task.

     

    Image of a simple fabric cutting table for test specimen preparation.
    Cutting System for Preparing Fabric Test Specimens