Simulating Composites Manufacturing Processes

Professor Stephen Hallett, Professor in Composite Structures at University of Bristol

It is well known that defects which occur during composites' manufacturing can have a profound effect on mechanical performance, and so have to be taken account of in design. Simulations of manufacturing processes and the associated mechanisms that lead to defect formation have to date not been widely taken up by industry, as is the case for mechanical performance simulations, which leads to costly and time consuming physical trials and demonstrators instead. Here a range of state of the art composites manufacturing simulation techniques, that address the challenges and propose solutions, are presented, covering topics such as compaction, Automated Fibre Placement (AFP), drape, textiles and the link to structural performance.