The conventional orientation of bobbin carriers in both 2D and 3D braiding machines is either parallel with the machine axis or radially facing the center. However, braiding machines with bobbin carriers pointing radially inward to the braid point are known as radial braiding machines. Placing the track plate such that the bobbin carriers face the braid point decreases friction by minimizing tension variation and intra-yarn interaction and thus reduces filament damage. Atlantic Research Corporation developed a 3-D radial braiding machine. This design utilizes machine space effectively by placing bobbin carriers radially along braiding axis

Radial braiding + Robot system
Radial braiding machine allows for manufacturing complex-shaped curved 3D woven structures. The unique design of this machine allows for 3 mode operation: manufacturing sleeve-shaped preforms; overbraiding a long part with variable diameter, over braiding curved boomerang-type parts.

Unlike conventional braiding equipment, which forms the braid in parallel to the bobbins and requires fiber movement that damages stiff, low elongation carbon fibers, T4L's radial braiding system for carbon fiber preforms reduces the span of fiber movement to only 0.10 inch/2.54 mm, and the fiber goes straight over the tensioning unit only once, not repeatedly, forming the braid at a 90° angle to the bobbins. This results in much less fiber breakage

Braiding interlaces three or more yarns together, forming a seamless textile preform over a mandrel. The textile’s interlocked fibers excel in torsional strength and impact resistance. Braided reinforcements also feature channels between the yarn bundles, which aid resin distribution during vacuum infusion and resin transfer molding