Rapid transformation of lamination parameters into stacking sequences

Abstract

Lamination parameter optimisation is a highly efficient type of composite optimisation. An equally efficient transformation of lamination parameters into stacking sequences is not yet available. This paper presents a general method for rapidly transforming lamination parameters into continuous stacking sequences. Systematic studies of the relationship between lamination parameters and stacking sequences provide a broad understanding of the transformation problem. An important finding is that multiple stacking sequences share the same lamination parameter set. The transformation is therefore not unique and has to account for multiple layup solutions. The layup retrieval algorithm uses primitive optimisation techniques to search for all optima in the layup space. Ply angles and layer numbers are hereby not restricted. In two representative examples, the authors show the algorithm's capabilities of finding all stacking sequence solutions of a twelve layer laminate and of finding multiple stacking sequence solutions for arbitrary layer numbers. This makes the algorithm applicable for stacking sequence retrieval, the last step in lamination parameter optimisation.