Design a typical composite part

Design a typical composite part

Composites are construction materials that do not have a uniform set of properties. Rather, they are a combination of several components that can be put together to suit a specific application.

Steel, for example, has specific properties that are defined depending on the type of material. These material properties always remain the same, regardless of the design of the subsequent component. These are known as isotropic materials.

Composites do not have fixed properties. These are determined, for example, by the two main components, fibers and matrix. In addition, the mechanical properties of the final component differ depending on which fibers and which fiber types are used. In many cases, additional materials such as fillers, additives, sandwich materials, etc. are also used. The material properties and mechanical properties can therefore be specifically adapted. Composites are so-called anisotropic materials.

The basic consideration in the design and layout of a composite component differs fundamentally from the selection of materials in the metal sector, for example. The selection process does not start with the choice of a specific material, but with the question of what properties the future component should have. According to this requirement, the available input materials are used to "design" a suitable material.

The following is an example of the considerations that can influence the subsequent material properties and their composition.