Software Forms > Design Criteria Form > Layup Rules

Layup Rules

Important: The Layup Rules apply during the creation of discrete laminates. These rules are defined separately for the top skin, bottom skin and stiffener web parameters.

Basic Layup Rules

Symmetry If selected, symmetry is strictly enforced by adding plies where necessary to return symmetric laminates. If this option is not selected, laminate generation still attempts to generate symmetric laminates, but it may allow the inner plies near the midplane to be unsymmetric, thereby generating laminates that have a closer ply count to the target.
Balance Balance can be strictly enforced or very closely enforced. This option follows the pattern above for symmetric layups.
Place +45° angles adjacent to -45° angles Requires all generated laminates to pair +/- 45° plies.
Apply 45° rule after 'n' plies If selected, this option requires all generated laminates to insert a 45° ply between n consecutively stacked 0° or 90° plies.
Use +45° fabrics only If selected, will substitute 45° plies in the target ply count for fabric plies.
Max. Adjacent Plies (#) Restricts the maximum adjacent plies for each direction, for tape and fabric.

Sublaminates

Sublaminates are multiple ply layers that are treated as a unit in the laminate sequencing optimization. See Discrete Laminate Sequencing.

Tip: Sublaminates may be used in thick laminates to reduce the total number of layers in the laminate which will speed-up laminate sequencing optimization.

Create Sublaminates

Sublaminates may be created and assigned by clicking Create.

Sublaminates are created by selecting the fiber angle and orthotropic material (tape or fabric) for each ply. There is no limit to the number of plies you can assign to the sublaminate. Any ply material in the database may be assigned to the sublaminate. The ply materials are not limited to the orthotropic materials defined in the chosen effective laminate.

Full Assembly Plies

Full assembly plies can be defined on the IML/OML/Midplane of all generated laminates. If a full assembly ply is defined, laminates will be generated with the specified plies at the desired location through the thickness of the laminate. During laminate sequencing, these plies will be continuous in every component in the assembly.

Full assembly plies can be any combination of ply angles and ply materials available in the database. Sublaminate layers may also be defined as full assembly plies.
The basic layup rules only apply to the base laminate. The full assembly plies may force the generation of unsymmetric or unbalanced laminates, even if the symmetric and balanced options are selected.
If too many full assembly plies are specified, laminate generation may not be able to meet target ply counts while also meeting the angle/material limits.

To define the full assembly plies, click the ellipsis button to the right of each field.