Abstract: A method for making a turbine engine blade includes three-dimensionally weaving elongate fibers of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, glass, silica, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum, aramid, aromatic polyamide, and combinations thereof to create a woven preform including a single piece of woven material. The woven preform includes continuous warp fibers extending along a first direction, continuous weft fibers extending along a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, and continuous fibers extending in a third direction substantially normal to the first and the second directions. The woven preform includes an airfoil region extending along the first direction and an arrangement of flaps extending along the second direction. The flaps are folded into a plane substantially normal to a plane of the airfoil region to form a shaped woven preform. The shaped woven preform is densified with a ceramic matrix.

Abstract: A method for making a turbine engine blade includes three-dimensionally weaving elongate fibers of a material selected from the group consisting of carbon, glass, silica, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum, aramid, aromatic polyamide, and combinations thereof to create a woven preform including a single piece of woven material. The woven preform includes continuous warp fibers extending along a first direction, continuous weft fibers extending along a second direction substantially normal to the first direction, and continuous fibers extending in a third direction substantially normal to the first and the second directions. The woven preform includes an airfoil region extending along the first direction and an arrangement of flaps extending along the second direction. The flaps are folded into a plane substantially normal to a plane of the airfoil region to form a shaped woven preform. The shaped woven preform is densified with a ceramic matrix.