Journal of Textile Research ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (06): 223-232.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20250706501

• Machinery & Equipment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effect of tufting needle tip morphological characteristics on stitching quality of carbon fiber preforms

LI Xiangyu1,2, DONG Jiuzhi1,2(), CHEN Xiaoxia1,2, CHEN Yunjun3, LI Rui1,2   

  1. 1 School of Mechanical Engineering， Tiangong University， Tianjin 300387， China
    2 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Mechatronics Equipment Technology， Tiangong University， Tianjin 300387， China
    3 School of Control Science and Engineering， Tiangong University， Tianjin 300387， China
  • Received:2025-07-29 Revised:2025-12-30 Online:2026-06-15 Published:2026-08-19
  • Contact: DONG Jiuzhi E-mail:dongjiuzhi@tiangong.edu.cn

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Abstract:

Objective The morphological characteristics of tufting needle tips and the mechanical response of penetration force during tufting are two key factors affecting stitching quality. However， systematic studies on morphological characterization and penetration-force modeling for tufting needles remain limited， and the influence of needle-tip morphology on the stitching quality of carbon-fiber preforms is still unclear. This study introduces a characteristic-angle-based modeling and evaluation method and combines needle-tip force analysis to comprehensively assess the effect of tufting needle-tip morphology on the stitching quality of carbon-fiber preforms.

Method Rake and inclination angles were introduced as characteristic angles to quantify tufting needle-tip morphology， and the corresponding expressions were established. By varying the cone angle， characteristic-angle distribution maps were generated to clarify the mapping between tip parameters and morphology. A peak penetration-force model was then developed based on needle-fabric interaction during penetration. Penetration tests， with ten repetitions for each needle type， were conducted on ten stacked layers of T300-3K plain-woven carbon fabric using four needles with different cone angles. Force-displacement curves， peak forces， and fabric damage morphology were obtained to validate the model and evaluate stitching quality.

Results The established characteristic-angle expressions revealed a clear mapping relationship between tufting needle-tip morphological parameters and the rake and inclination angles. As the needle-tip cone angle increased from 30° to 45°， the rake and inclination angles generally decreased at the angular positions along the needle-tip leading edge， indicating a negative correlation between the cone angle and the characteristic angles. Needles with smaller cone angles exhibited larger rake and inclination angles and a higher leading-edge proportion， which contributed to the formation of a sharper cutting-edge morphology. Based on the force interaction between the needle and fabric fibers， the peak penetration-force model showed that， when the needle diameter and fabric properties remained constant， the peak force was mainly governed by needle-tip morphology and increased with the cone angle. This trend was further supported by the penetration tests. The force-displacement curves exhibited a typical single-peak feature. During the initial penetration stage， the force increased continuously with displacement as the needle pushed and separated the fabric fibers. After the needle tip penetrated the fabric structure， the penetration resistance was gradually released and the curve entered a descending stage. The peak penetration forces differed clearly among the needles with different cone angles and increased sequentially with the cone angle. The measured peak forces agreed well with the model predictions， with a maximum mean absolute error of 0.38 N， a maximum mean squared error of 0.15 N2， and a maximum mean relative error of 6.34%， confirming the validity of the model. This mechanical response was further reflected in the damage morphology. Hole-like damage appeared in the fabric after needle penetration， and the average damage area increased from 3.12 to 3.78 mm2 from N1 to N4. Overall， a smaller cone angle increased the characteristic angles， improved the cutting-edge morphology， reduced penetration resistance， and suppressed fabric damage， thereby improving the tufting stitching quality of carbon-fiber preforms.

Conclusion The results demonstrate that tufting needle-tip morphology is a key factor affecting the stitching quality of carbon-fiber preforms. The characteristic-angle analysis shows a clear negative correlation between the needle-tip cone angle and the rake and inclin

Key words: tufting stitching, needle tip morphology, characteristic angle, needle penetration force, stitching quality

CLC Number: 

  • TS103

Fig.1

Geometric model of tufting needle"

Fig.2

Projection of tufting needle on xoy plane"

Fig.3

Distribution pattern of rake angle α（a） and inclination angle λ（b） under various cone angles of needle tip"

Fig.4

Force diagram at tufting needle tip"

Fig.5

Cross-sectional of plain weave carbon cloth"

Fig.6

Yarn movement schematic diagram"

Fig.7

Yarn tension-radial pressure mechanical model"

Tab.1

Tufting needle tip geometric parameters"

机针编号 直径/mm 针尖长度/mm 针尖锥角/（°）
N1 2 4 30
N2 2 4 35
N3 2 4 40
N4 2 4 45

Fig.8

Experimental tufting machine needles"

Fig.9

Schematic diagram of experimental setup"

Fig.10

Characteristic angle coverage range of tufted needles for experiments"

Fig.11

Tufting needle penetration force-displacement curve"

Tab.2

Comparison of measured values of peak penetration force in experiments with predicted values from model"

机针
编号		 重复实验峰值刺入力实测结果/N 实测标
准差/N		 模型预
测值/N		 平均绝对
误差/N		 均方误
差/N2		 平均相对
误差/%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
N1 4.39 4.45 4.59 4.52 4.32 4.31 4.41 4.62 4.55 4.49 0.11 4.73 0.26 0.08 5.60
N2 4.76 4.72 4.84 4.87 4.68 4.75 4.79 4.92 4.98 4.87 0.09 5.13 0.31 0.11 6.08
N3 5.15 5.19 5.22 5.29 5.07 4.99 5.10 5.38 5.31 5.16 0.12 5.53 0.34 0.13 6.22
N4 5.69 5.51 5.64 5.72 5.45 5.38 5.51 5.66 5.59 5.58 0.11 5.95 0.38 0.15 6.34

Fig.12

Hole damage morphology of laminated carbon cloth"

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