In-House Composite Engineering & Analysis: Unlocking Composite Excellence at Carbon ThreeSixty

At Carbon ThreeSixty, we don’t just manufacture cutting-edge composite solutions; we engineer them with precision, predict their performance with accuracy, and optimise them for unparalleled efficiency. Our commitment to delivering the best-in-class composite components is underpinned by a robust suite of In-House Composite Engineering & Analysis capabilities, powered by industry-leading software and a team of expert engineers.

From Concept to Optimisation: Our Comprehensive Analysis Toolkit

Our analytical prowess allows us to delve deep into the behaviour of composite materials and structures, ensuring that every design is meticulously validated and optimised for its intended application. Here’s a closer look at our core analysis capabilities:

• Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) for Composite Laminates: We leverage the power of ESAComp and LAP by Anaglyph to perform Classical Laminate Theory analysis. This fundamental approach allows us to accurately predict the elastic properties, stresses, and strains within composite laminates under various loading conditions, laying the groundwork for robust design.
• Mechanical Structural Analysis of Composite Components: Utilising the industry-standard tools Altair Hypermesh for pre-processing and Altair Optistruct for solving, we conduct comprehensive mechanical structural analysis of our composite components. This enables us to simulate real-world scenarios, identify potential stress concentrations, predict deformation, and ensure the structural integrity and durability of our designs.
• Composite Material Card Development and Down-Selection: The performance of a composite part is intrinsically linked to the properties of its constituent materials. We specialise in developing and down-selecting appropriate composite material cards, which are crucial for accurate simulation. Our engineers use Altair Compose for data processing and Radioss for explicit dynamics simulations, validating these material cards against experimental data to ensure their fidelity and reliability.
• Topology, Shape, and Free Size Composite Optimisation: Pushing the boundaries of design, we employ Altair Optistruct for advanced optimisation techniques. This includes:
  • Topology Optimisation: Determining the optimal material distribution within a given design space to meet performance targets.
  • Shape Optimisation: Refining the geometric contours of a component for improved performance and reduced material usage.
  • Free Size Optimisation: Optimising the ply thicknesses and stacking sequences within a composite laminate to achieve desired stiffness and strength characteristics.
• Optimisation of Fibre Directionality in Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) Structures: For our specialised Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) structures, we go a step further. Using proprietary software, we can optimise fibre directionality down to the individual fibre tow level. This highly granular control allows us to precisely align fibres with load paths, maximizing material efficiency and unlocking the full potential of TFP technology for unparalleled performance.

Our Analysis Software Toolkit:

To achieve these sophisticated In-House Composite Engineering & Analysis, we rely on a carefully curated suite of cutting-edge software:

• ESAComp: For Classical Laminate Theory and composite material property analysis.
• LAP by Anaglyph: Complementing ESAComp for advanced laminate analysis.
• Altair Hypermesh: Our go-to for high-fidelity finite element pre-processing.
• Altair Optistruct: The backbone of our structural analysis and optimisation workflows.
• Altair Compose: For efficient data analysis and scripting in our material card development.
• Altair Radioss: For explicit dynamics simulations and validation of material models.
• Proprietary software: Specifically for the intricate optimisation of fibre directionality in TFP structures.

Partner with Carbon ThreeSixty:

Our in-house analysis capabilities are a testament to our commitment to innovation and engineering excellence. By combining expert knowledge with state-of-the-art software, we offer our clients not just composite components, but optimised, validated, and high-performing solutions.

Looking to bring your composite vision to life? Contact Carbon ThreeSixty today to discuss how our analysis expertise can benefit your next project.