Systems and methods for forming a fibrous preform are disclosed. The method may comprise providing a plurality of needles comprising a barbed needle and a barbless needle and penetrating the fibrous preform with the plurality of needles.

A method of fabricating a fiber structure, the method including a) forming at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber by applying heat treatment at a temperature lying in the range 900° C. to 1200° C. to at least one fiber that is a precursor of ceramic fiber; and b) performing one or more textile operations using at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber formed by performing step a) in order to form a fiber structure including the at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber.

A method of fabricating a fiber structure, the method including a) forming at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber by applying heat treatment at a temperature lying in the range 900° C. to 1200° C. to at least one fiber that is a precursor of ceramic fiber; and b) performing one or more textile operations using at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber formed by performing step a) in order to form a fiber structure including the at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber.

The stripper plate or stitching plate for a needling machine comprises a plurality of opening arrangements, wherein each opening arrangement comprises at least one opening for accommodating needles of a needle row of a needle board of the needling machine. At least first and second opening arrangements of the plurality of opening arrangements are arranged at a slant to a longitudinal direction (L.sub.1) of the stripper plate or stitching plate, and an absolute value of the angle (β) of the second opening arrangements to the longitudinal direction (L.sub.1) of the stripper plate or stitching plate is different from an absolute value of an angle (α) of the first opening arrangements to the longitudinal direction (L.sub.1) of the stripper plate or stitching plate.

The stripper plate or stitching plate for a needling machine comprises a plurality of opening arrangements, wherein each opening arrangement comprises at least one opening for accommodating needles of a needle row of a needle board of the needling machine. At least first and second opening arrangements of the plurality of opening arrangements are arranged at a slant to a longitudinal direction (L.sub.1) of the stripper plate or stitching plate, and an absolute value of the angle (β) of the second opening arrangements to the longitudinal direction (L.sub.1) of the stripper plate or stitching plate is different from an absolute value of an angle (α) of the first opening arrangements to the longitudinal direction (L.sub.1) of the stripper plate or stitching plate.

A method of forming an annular textile preform by needling a helical fiber sheet includes in succession: unwinding a helical fiber sheet from a horizontal sheet-forming turntable driven at a constant and predefined speed of rotation N.sub.FS onto a horizontal intermediate unwinder driven at a speed of rotation N.sub.DI and positioned on a horizontal intermediate turntable driven at a speed of rotation N.sub.FI, unwinding the helical fiber sheet from the intermediate unwinder onto a final horizontal unwinder driven at a speed of rotation N.sub.DF, and unwinding the fiber sheet from the final unwinder onto a horizontal preform-forming turntable driven at a variable and predefined speed of rotation N.sub.FP so as to be subjected to needling thereon. The speeds N.sub.DI, N.sub.FI, and N.sub.DF are controlled in such a manner that N.sub.DF is proportional to N.sub.FP, N.sub.FI=(N.sub.FS−N.sub.DF)/2, and N.sub.DI=(N.sub.FS+N.sub.DF)/2.

A method of forming an annular textile preform by needling a helical fiber sheet includes in succession: unwinding a helical fiber sheet from a horizontal sheet-forming turntable driven at a constant and predefined speed of rotation N.sub.FS onto a horizontal intermediate unwinder driven at a speed of rotation N.sub.DI and positioned on a horizontal intermediate turntable driven at a speed of rotation N.sub.FI, unwinding the helical fiber sheet from the intermediate unwinder onto a final horizontal unwinder driven at a speed of rotation N.sub.DF, and unwinding the fiber sheet from the final unwinder onto a horizontal preform-forming turntable driven at a variable and predefined speed of rotation N.sub.FP so as to be subjected to needling thereon. The speeds N.sub.DI, N.sub.FI, and N.sub.DF are controlled in such a manner that N.sub.DF is proportional to N.sub.FP, N.sub.FI=(N.sub.FS−N.sub.DF)/2, and N.sub.DI=(N.sub.FS+N.sub.DF)/2.

Described is a composite made from a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, or a knitted face fabric and a non-woven fabric. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric is needle punched such that fibers protrude into the non-woven fabric. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric has a first polymer having a first melting point and a second polymer having a second melting point being higher than the first melting point. The nonwoven backing material comprises a third polymer having a third melting point and a fourth polymer having a fourth melting point being higher than the third melting point. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric is further bonded to the nonwoven backing material applying heat to at least partially melt or soften the first polymer and the third polymer such that they bond together.

Described is a composite made from a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, or a knitted face fabric and a non-woven fabric. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric is needle punched such that fibers protrude into the non-woven fabric. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric has a first polymer having a first melting point and a second polymer having a second melting point being higher than the first melting point. The nonwoven backing material comprises a third polymer having a third melting point and a fourth polymer having a fourth melting point being higher than the third melting point. The woven fabric, the non-woven fabric, or the knitted face fabric is further bonded to the nonwoven backing material applying heat to at least partially melt or soften the first polymer and the third polymer such that they bond together.

An needling machine and process needle a nonwoven fibrous web (2) fed in a direction of passage (3). A needling unit (5) with oscillatingly moved needles (11) is configured to needle and strengthen the nonwoven fibrous web (2). The needling unit (5) has a lifting drive (6) and parallel, linearly guided driving rods (15, 16) driven reversably thereby. The needling unit (5) has a supporting beam (8) connected to the needles (11) and extending in the direction of passage (3). Driving rods (15), arranged one after another in the direction of passage (3), are each connected to the supporting beam (8) via a respective beam bearing (18, 19) in an articulated manner. One of the beam bearings (18, 19), arranged one after another in the direction of passage (3), has an additional degree of freedom of motion.