Laminates

Laminate entities define laminates, which make up a laminated structure by defining the stacking sequence of ply entities that make up the laminated structure.

Ply Laminates
Define laminates which make up flat or slightly curved laminated structures.
Ply laminates stack ply entities. The stack direction for the plies of a ply laminate is in the direction of the element's normal.


Figure 1.
Sub-Laminates
Similar to ply laminates in that they also stack ply entities. However, sub-laminates define only a portion of a laminate rather than a complete laminate structure.
The stack direction for the plies of a sublaminate is defined by an interface definition within an associated interface laminate. However, the ply order defined within a sublaminate must remain in the defined order. An interface definition of an interface laminate defines which ply of the sublaminate is on “top” and which is on the “bottom” relative to the elements normal.


Figure 2.
Interface Laminates
Define laminates which make up complex laminated structures that wrap around corners.
Interface laminates stack sublaminates. The stack direction for the sublaminates of an interface laminate is in the direction of the element's normal. The exact stacking sequence of the plies of the sublaminates is defined by the interface definitions within an interface laminate. An interface definition defines which surface plies of two sublaminates touch, or interface, with each other. Each sublaminate stacked within an interface laminate must have at least one interface definition.


Figure 3.

Supported Solver Cards

Solver cards supported for laminates.

Abaqus Cards

If a laminate is realized, as many composite properties as needed are created to represent the ply and laminate based definition. A ‘template’ composites property (SHELL SECTION or SHELL GENERAL SECTION) has to be assigned all concerned elements first, as the algorithm derives the new properties from the same.

The laminate name ends up in the LAYUP parameter of the Abaqus property.

Nastran Cards

If a laminate is realized, as many composite properties (PCOMPG) as needed are created to represent the ply and laminate based definition. A ‘template’ composites property PCOMPP has to previously be assigned all concerned elements. The PCOMPP property is not exported.

OptiStruct Cards

Laminate realization can be used to convert a ply based model into a zone based model. In this case the export state of all ply related entities (PCOMPP property, PLY and STACK) will be set so that they are not exported.

To generate PCOMPG properties representing the ply and laminate definition, a PCOMPP card has to be defined and assigned to the elements involved in the composites definition before the realization is started.
Card Description
STACK Defines the stacking information and stacking sequence for ply-based composite definition.
Note: Bulk Data Entry

Radioss Cards

The stacking definition of the property cards /PROP/STACK (TYPE17), /PROP/TYPE51, and /STACK are represented as a laminate entity.

Samcef Cards

Laminates created will be selected in the definition of the composite properties (.ETASHELL or . ETASOLID).

Create and Realize Laminates

Overview of how to create and realize laminates.

Create Laminates

Radioss

  1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > Laminate from the context menu.
  2. In the Create Laminate dialog, define attributes accordingly.
    Option Description
    Type Defines the type of laminate definition.
    Name Name of laminate.
    Save as Duplicate an existing laminate.
    Card image Card image of the property that will be linked with the laminate (/PROP/TYPE17 > P17_STACK or /PROP/TYPE51 > P51_STACK), or will create /STACK and /PROP/PCOMPP if card image LAM_STACK is used.
    Color Laminate color.
    Laminate option Only the Total option is available.
    Define laminate Select plies, and define the stacking sequence.

    Phi and Zi will define the attributes of the same name in /PROP/TYE17 or /PROP/TYPE51.

    The stacking sequence can be modified at any time using the Entity Editor.

    You can modify the stacking sequence of a set of defined plies at any time by right-clicking on the laminate in the Model Browser and selecting Edit from the context menu.
  3. Click Create.
When you create a laminate entity via the Model Browser, a corresponding property entity with the /PROP/TYPE17 (STACK) or /PROP/TYPE51 card image is created, and assigned to the laminate entity. If you select the card image LAM_STACK, HyperMesh will create the corresponding /STACK keyword and the /PROP/PCOMPP property, and link the laminate with the created property.


Figure 4.
If you create a property entity with the /PROP/STACK (TYPE17) or /PROP/TYPE51 card image, you can manually assign the corresponding laminate entity in the Entity Editor, Laminate field, using the Laminate selector.


Figure 5.

Realize Laminates

Before you can realize laminates, a ‘template’ property must be assigned to all elements referred to through the ply and laminate entities.
In the Model Browser, right-click on a laminate and select Realize from the context menu.

A ply based model is converted into a zone based model. The realization algorithm creates as many properties as needed (as a copy from the template property) to represent the ply/laminate definition. Each region of the model with a unique set of layers will get its own property.