**5. Advantages of 3D weaving process**

The production of 3D woven fabrics on conventional weaving machines is an inefficient process since conventional 2D weaving machine inserts weft yarns one at a time. Contrary to the aforementioned situation, 3D weaving looms that are special designed to produce 3D woven fabrics allow simultaneously insert multiple layers of warp yarns and weft yarns. The simultaneous insertion of an entire column of weft yarns makes the linear productivity of the 3D weaving process independent of layers (Lienhart, 2009).

Another important distinction is that in 2-D weaving process, yarns in the warp direction are passed through heddles, and must be pulled past neighbouring warp yarns, above or below the filling insertion. Repeated motions through the heddles and through other planes of warp tend to abrade fibres, especially brittle technical fibres. In the 3-D Weaving process individual warp planes do not pass through heddles, and are not forced to repeatedly cross neighbouring warp planes; accordingly, weaving-induced fibre damage in this case is significantly reduced (Lienhart, 2009).
