This is the last post in the series of 3 posts where I will show you how my team and I at AQUILO, a student rocket team based in the Netherlands, use Dassault Systems' Composites design app in our manufacturing process. In my previous post, we discussed how to add plies to corresponding grids and how to visualise and change the stacking to our needs. This week, I will review how to verify the possibility of layering the cutout plies and flattening them using the composite design app and the composites manufacturing preparation app.

The composites design app from Dassault Systems has a useful function to check how you have used the plies you created. For instance, if you did not divide the nose cone into different sections, you would have one large ply that covers the entire surface area. It is impossible to layer such a large ply in one go, but this app helps you identify the critical regions and suggests how to layer them. The layup process can also be analysed for hand or fibre placement methods.

The first photo attached shows how I analysed the ply's layup at the tip of the nose cone. The second photo attached shows how it analysed all sixteen plies created to determine which ones can be layered and which need more attention. As predicted, the tip section of the nose cone is difficult to layer; although we have defined it as a separate ply, the same accounts for the full ply, which covers the whole nose cone. Based on the specific parameters I entered about the carbon fibre role, it will warn you of possible locations where layering will not work out. I am happy with the result I have achieved here since it is just a showcase, but I would normally refine the grids based on the warnings I receive to make it more optimal for layup.

After being happy with the result of the possibility of layup, I would like to flatten out the plies on a plane, which I then can use to export the plies to a machine which will cut out the 2D shape of the plies for us, which will be used during the actual layup process of the nose cone. To gain the flattened-out plies, we have to switch over to another app of Dassault Systems called Composites Manufacturing Preparation, which flawlessly works with the Composites Design app. In this app, I can flatten my plies based on a reference plane and points at which the 2D shapes will be created. In the third attached picture, you can see the result of all the sixteen flattened-out plies. Based on these flattened-out plies, I can make a drawing file, which I can export as a dxf file, which the slicing program of the cutting machine can read. And thereby cut out the plies of the carbon fibre sheet, which will be used for the layup.

This was the last post of the series that discussed our experience of using the Composites Design app by Dassault Systems in our student rocket team. We felt proud to have used this app and shared insights into preparing one of our composite parts. It was exciting for us to showcase the wide range of apps offered by Dassault Systems, particularly those related to composites. We hope our experience has sparked your interest in exploring Dassault Systems programs. If something comes up in your mind, you can always ask me a question! I am open for a conversation.

Edu Composite Design3DEXPERIENCE Work Showcase CAD Knowledge Sharing CAE