A concept for the generation of out-of-plane distortion from tailored frp laminates

Kevin D. Potter, Paul M. Weaver

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The phenomenon of thermally induced distortions in unsymmetrical laminates is well understood, and it may be shown that a square, unsymmetrical 0.90 laminate will tend to form two stable geometries with a snap-through phenomenon between them. This paper discusses laminates in which at each point the lay-up is symmetrical across the laminate mid-plane, but which still exhibit multiple stable geometries. The number of stable geometries can be controlled by the details of the lay-up from the minimum of two to, in principle, an unlimited number. In addition it will be shown how a similar process can be used to generate multiple stable stress states and geometries in unidirectional laminates. This paper represents a very preliminary experimental investigation of the design space available for such composite laminates. Possible applications of composites with multiple stable geometries are noted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1353-1361
Number of pages9
JournalComposites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Volume35
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2004
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • B. Residual/internal stress
  • C. Analytical modelling
  • E. Prepreg

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