FiberSIM 3.3 improves the manufacture of composite parts

Citation

(2001), "FiberSIM 3.3 improves the manufacture of composite parts", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2001.12773aab.019

FiberSIM 3.3 improves the manufacture of composite parts

FiberSIM 3.3 improves the manufacture of composite parts

Keywords: Composite Design Technologies, CAD, Computer software, Composite components, Design management

Composite Design Technologies, Inc. (CDT), an innovator in creating CAD integrated software solutions for composite design and manufacturing, informs us that it has introduced FiberSIM 3.3, a new version of its software suite. CDT expresses the opinion that this software provides major enhancements in productivity and part performance while significantly increasing its support of leading-edge technologies such as fiber placement and liquid flow modeling. The new release is said to provide a wide range of design automation tools that make it possible for engineers designing composite parts to spend less time on tedious, repetitious tasks and more time on solving problems and optimizing designs. The release is also said to provide new tools for improving part performance, such as a core sample tool that analyzes the symmetry and balance of the lay-up. Finally, FiberSIM 3.3 claims new features that equip it to handle additional types of composite parts and manufacturing processes, such as fiber placement data files from within their CAD system.

CDT explains that, while previous versions of FiberSIM have offered the ability to automate major portions of the composite design process, the new release provides the opportunity to raise engineering productivity to a new level with the addition of significant new design automation tools. The company quotes, as an example, that zone to ply functionality automatically generates plies to satisfy design requirements that have been specified using FiberSIM-defined zones and associated target laminate definitions. The engineer creates zone laminate definitions using ply counts with thickness and orientation percentages. FiberSIM then determines zone adjacency, examines orientations and ply totals, and automatically creates plies to satisfy the defined zones and the target laminate definition. Another new feature is reported to automate the creation of ply drop-offs. The user selects the plies to drop-off and the drop-off pattern (linear, symmetrical or asymmetrical), and then the program generates the correct ply geometry. An automatic change notification alerts users to related items that may require updating. In addition, improved generation of darts over complex geometries is thought to enable the user to direct the dart path for optimum results. And a symmetrical part creation tool automatically mirrors ply geometry for creating left- and right-hand parts. All of these tools are believed to speed the design process and make the engineer's job easier and more efficient.

It is also pointed out by CDT that, along with making the design engineer more productive, the new release also provides features that make it possible to design parts with improved performance. A new type of core sample output has been added that provides information on the symmetry and balance of the lay-up to determine whether the part meets the design specifications. The laminate rating analyzes symmetry, weighted symmetry and mechanical symmetry and provides information about laminate balance and warpage. Both the stagger index and the offset value are now provided for each ply to ensure that all staggering conditions are being met at specific locations on the part. By providing this type of feedback in the early stages of design, FiberSIM is said to enable engineers to evaluate design trade-offs so they can optimize the performance of a part.

In addition to adding depth to the FiberSIM product line with the new design automation and performance optimization tools, the new release also adds breadth by providing the capability to work on increased types of composite parts and manufacturing processes. With FiberSIM 3.3, engineers can now reportedly work with parametric core, fiber placed parts and liquid flow modeling. FiberSIM is stated to provide a direct link between the CAD model and the fiber placement programming software, so that engineers can design specifically for the fiber placement manufacturing process and take full advantage of all its benefits. Engineers can design parts for fiber placement, then automatically generate fiber placement data files from within their CAD system. The producibility information generated by the fiber placement programming software can then be viewed in FiberSIM, where changes can easily be made. FiberSIM 3.3 also includes what is believed to be the first commercial solution for accurately simulating complex curvature parts using liquid composite molding manufacturing techniques through a link to LCMFLOT, mold filling analysis software from Liquid Process Performance Prediction, Inc. (L3P). This, it is thought, makes it possible for companies investigating this fast growing composite manufacturing method to more accurately simulate the flow of resin through the mold without the expense and time involved in building and testing a prototype mold.

FiberSIM 3.3 is now available on HP (HP-UX), IBM (AIX), SGI (IRIX), and Sun (Solaris). Additional platforms will be supported in the near future.

Details available from: Composite Design Technologies, Inc. Tel: +1 781 290 0506; E-mail: djo@cdt.com