The mechanism of needle penetration through a woven aramid fabric

Fabrics that resist needle penetration are important for the manufacture of protective gloves and clothing. Understanding the mechanism of needle penetration through a fibrous structure enables optimisation of protective fabric design. This work investigated the process of low speed penetration of a needle through a woven aramid fabric. Motion image capture of the needle enabled needle position correlation with the needle penetration force profile. The needle penetration force curve had three characteristic peaks and more than 70% of the needle tip was already exposed at maximum penetration force.