Advanced fiber placement technology enables the placement of curved fibers on a surface, which makes it possible to continuously vary the stiffness within a composite laminate. A cylindrical shell with circumferentially varying stiffness optimized for maximum bending load carrying capability was built at the Boeing Company using an Ingersoll fiber-placement machine. A detailed description of the design for manufacturing is given for the laminate configuration that was built and the design is compared to the actual product. Issues encountered during the design and manufacturing are discussed and recommendations for the future are made.
展开▼
