Coupling Characteristics Of Needles And Backing During Carpet Tufting Process

Carpet tufting process requires a highly technology capability. The yarn is implanted into the backing which is woven or non-woven fabric by the vertical reciprocating motion of tufting needles cooperating with the knife and hook. Tufting needle penetrating into the backing is a dynamic process, wherein elastic and plastic deformation as well as failure of the backing may occur. The force study of needle penetrate into the backing during tufting process is a very important part to analysis the tufting process. However, the dynamic change during tufting process is hard to observe experimentally. In this paper, taking tufting needle and backing of DHGN801D-200 tufting machine as object, using experimental and numerical simulation methods to study the coupling characteristics of tufting needle and backing during tufting process. The main contents of the paper include:1. Create the model of coupling system. In Solidworks modeling software, create 3D models of carpet tufting needles of the German company 1/10 Grosz and the base fabric modeling, wherein the base fabric including polypropylene woven cloth and thermal bonding of two types of non-woven clothing. through tensile and bursting tests, the mechanical properties of polypropylene woven fabrics and non woven fabrics was tested individually to establish the mechanics model of the material.2. Dynamic finite element analysis of needle- the base fabric coupling system. In the ABAQUS finite element analysis software, Establish the damage evolution law and failure model of the base fabric, calculation and simulation of dynamic process of needle puncture of the base fabric under ABAQUS/Explicit explicit analysis environment. By using the finite element analysis of simulation results by dynamic force and needle puncture in the base fabric deformation, and contrast the puncture force of different base fabric, different puncture rate and corresponding puncture cases. Wherein the non-woven fabric is greater than the force on the needle woven polypropylene, speed increase helps to reduce the puncture force.3. Simulation results are verified by the experimental analysis. Establish sensor test system to the dynamic process of cluster and obtained the needle force during the tufting process then compared with the results of finite element analysis to know that by using the finite element analysis to simulation the coupling process of needle and the base fabric, the result is reliable and effective.