Comfil - Thermoplastic composites from commingled yarn

FABRIC

Woven fabric in different constructions (Twill 2/2 most common) in balanced or UD (most common as 4/1 with 80 % yarns in 0 deg. direction and 20% in 90 deg.)
Non Crimp Fabric ( UD or 45/45 degree as main constructions)
Knitted socks
Braided (tubes as main construction)

Comparison of Properties

(Key: E=very poor, D=poor, C=acceptable, B=good, A=excellent)

Each warp fibre passes alternatively under and over each weft fibre. (Difficult to drape and high crimp impacts low mechanical properties).

One or more warp fibres alternatively weave over and under two or more weft fibres in a regular repeated manner. This produces diagonal rib.
Superior wet out and drape, over plain, with only a small reduction in stability.
Reduced crimp gives smoother surface and high mechanicals.

Twill weaves modified to produce fewer intersections of warp and weft. The harness (4, 5 & 8) is the total number of fibres crossed and passed over before the fibre repeats the pattern.
Satin weaves are very flat, have good wet out and a high degree of drape. Low crimp gives good mechanical properties. Satin weave allows fibre to be woven in the closest proximity and produces fabrics with tight weave.
The style has low stability and asymmetry needs to be considered. The asymmetry causes one face of the fabric to have fabric running predominantly in the warp direction, with the other in the weft. Care must be taken when assembling multi layers to ensure that stresses are not built into the component through this effect.

When especially strength is needed in one direction (not balanced weave) there are possibilities for having more yarn ends in one of the directions, hence the strength will be proportional with the ratio of ends.
An example Warp/Weft 4/1 which means 80% of the strength will be in the warp direction (0 deg) and only 20% in the weft direction (90 deg)
A way of having only strength in one direction is making a UD weave (tape) where the composite yarns are only in the warp direction, and to hold the yarns in the warp together a yarn consisting of only matrix material is used in the weft.