Method of producing textile preforms for fiber reinforced composite products from textile semi-finished articles

A method of producing a textile preform for the subsequent manufacture of a fiber reinforced plastic composite product, comprising the steps:

• a) producing a semi-finished textile material including unfixed fibers that are not yet entirely finally fixed, by a textile production process;
• b) carrying out a reforming and/or draping process involving reforming and/or draping said semi-finished textile material to re-orient said unfixed fibers into a desired fiber orientation of said preform;
• and
• c) applying said semi-finished textile material onto a carrier having a geometry adapted to a final intended geometry of said preform, to thereby form said preform having said final intended geometry;
• wherein said carrier comprises a reforming tool, and wherein said steps b) and c) together comprise pushing, pressing or squeezing said semi-finished textile material into, onto or along said reforming tool by pressing said semi-finished textile material onto said reforming tool using a counter-pressing roller, which changes a cross-sectional shape of said semi-finished textile material into said final intended geometry and at least partially changes an orientation of at least a portion of said unfixed fibers, whereby said unfixed fibers are reoriented into said desired fiber orientation of said preform.

A method of producing a textile preform for the subsequent manufacture of a fiber reinforced plastic composite product, comprising the steps:

• a) producing a semi-finished textile material including unfixed fibers that are not yet entirely finally fixed, by a textile production process;
• b) carrying out a reforming and/or draping process involving reforming and/or draping said semi-finished textile material to re-orient said unfixed fibers into a desired fiber orientation of said preform;
• and
• c) applying said semi-finished textile material onto a carrier having a geometry adapted to a final intended geometry of said preform, to thereby form said preform having said final intended geometry;
• wherein said step a) includes providing respective longitudinally extending fibers of varying lengths in said semi-finished textile material, and said steps b) and c) include forming a curve in said final intended geometry with said varying lengths of said longitudinally extending fibers respectively adapted to varying arc lengths at different radial positions in said curve.