3 Step Composite Optimization Cheat Sheet: Shape, Size, Shuffle

Lacie

Hi Altair Community!

I wanted to share this 3 step composite optimization cheat sheet which you can use to:

1. Get ply shapes
2. Determine ply bundle thickness
3. Determine the order of plies

Shape

1. Goal: Get ply shapes Input File: Plies with all orientations present (1 ply per angle) Common Constraints: mass, volume fraction Recommended Objective: minimize compliance Design variable card: DSIZE Concept-level manufacturing constraints: symmetry, BALANCE, LMTHK, PLYMAN Laminate option: smear OS is running free size optimization Each ply angle will be split into 4 ply bundles during free size optimization Output Request: FSTOSZ

Size

2. Goal: Determine ply bundle thickness Input File: RunName_sizing.#.fem Common Constraints: composite stress, strain, failure criteria, displacement, buckling, natural frequencies Common Objectives: minimize mass Design variable card: DCOMP Run ply shapes from free size optimization through ply smoother and/or manually edit ply shapes Fine-turning Manufacturing constraints: PPMIN/MAX, PLYDRP Laminate option: smear OS is running size optimization Output Request: SZTOSH

Shuffle

3. Goal: Order the plies Input File: RunName_shuffling.#.fem Design variable card: DSHUFFLE Fine-turning Manufacturing constraints: PAIR, MAXSUCC Laminate option: total Critical Outputs: RunName.h3d results file, RunName.shuf (HTML) for final ply stack-up, RunName.prop After shuffling is complete, import RunName.prop into HyperMesh over the original FEM deck. Overwrites laminate stack-up with optimized order.

Composite-Specific Manufacturing Constraints for Optimization

• Min/Max Total Laminate Thickness (LAMTHK)
• Min/Max Individual Ply Thickness (PLYTHK)
• Min/Max Individual Ply Angle Percentage (i.e. %90...) (PLYPCT)
• Min Manufacturable Ply Thickness Constraints (PLYMAN)
• Balanced Ply Angles (i.e. Balance +/- 45’s) (BALANCE)
• Constant Individual Ply Thickness (CONST)
• Ply Drop-Off Constraints (PLYDRP)
• Tape Laying Constraints (TAPE)
• Pairing constraint (PAIR)

FE Ply Smoothing

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