TAILORED FIBER PLACEMENT TO MINIMIZE STRESS-CONCENTRATIONS

Flexible production equipment able to take advantage of fibre composit e anisotropic properties can improve quality, strength-to-weight chara cteristics, and reduce costs. A fibre placement technique known as tai lored fibre placement (or technical embroidery) has been investigated. Components containing stress concentrations in the form of circular h oles were tested in tension. The load cases included an open hole, sin gle- and double-bolt loading. Tailored fibre placement shows excellent potential for local reinforcement of a basic material by yielding lar ge improvements in the strength-to-weight characteristics of composite structures. In addition, in its existing form it is also an exception al fast prototyping technique. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Limited