Measurement device for tear defects during preforming of non-woven fabrics made of recycled carbon fibres

Non-woven fabrics, known for their mechanical and acoustic properties, have gained attention in many industries, including the automotive industry. Use of recycled carbon fibres (rCF) in non-woven structures is a cost-effective and sustainable solution. However, the deformability and tear characteristics of these fabrics during preforming are not clearly understood. This study introduces a novel measuring instrument that accurately detects and quantifies the local mass loss in non-woven fabrics during preforming on a hemispherical punch. The instrument demonstrated satisfactory accuracy in identifying and quantifying tear defects, highlighting the high sensitivity of non-woven rCF materials to tear damage during formation. The tear damage was dispersed across different angles, indicating widespread susceptibility to tearing throughout the material.