Composite analysis can significantly improve the efficiency of your design by allowing for optimization and can find and fix failure points prior to investment in expensive prototypes.
Composite materials are used to offer
- Significant weight savings
- Increased performance
- Improved design flexibility
Composite analysis is used in a wide range of industries including
- Aerospace
- Used in aircraft and spacecraft where weight savings can lead to dramatic fuel savings and performance improvements.
- Defense
- Used where strength is critical or weight needs to be minimized for survivability and performance.
- Automotive
- Used in high end performance vehicles to improve the weight to power ratio and increase performance.
- Civil
- Used for maintenance such as carbon fiber reinforcement of concrete or in critical structures where increased strength is needed.
- Energy
- Used for turbine blades, and other energy systems to reduce weight and maximizing strength which delivers improved energy generation efficiency.
- Sports Equipment
- Composites improve performance through increased specific strength and has become popular in sports such as cycling, winter sports, and water sports.
- Biomedical
- Prostheses use composites to deliver adequate strength and performance with the lower weight.
Types of Composites
Our experienced engineers use advanced finite element analysis (FEA) to analyze composite components to generate computer models for a variety of composite structures and materials.
- Carbon Fiber
- Properties: High tensile strength, high stiffness, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion
- Uses: Aerospace, civil engineering, defense, performance cars, sports equipment, and more
- Kevlar
- Properties: Heat-resistant, high tensile strength, low weigh
- Uses: Defense, sports equipment, music equipment, tires, and more
- Honeycomb Cores
- Properties: Low weight, high out-of-plane compression and shear strength, high specific strength
- Uses: Aerospace, automobiles, sports equipment, packaging, and more
- Fiberglass
- Properties: Affordable, flexible, strong, formable
- Uses: Aerospace, boats, automobiles, water enclosures, roofing, piping and more
Why composite analysis is critical to development
One common attribute with composites is low ductility. This means the ultimate strength is very close to the yield strength which leads to having little to no warning prior to failing. Between having low ductility, high cost, and complex geometries it is critical to have a strong model of a designs performance. Composite analysis models deliver an in depth understanding of performance properties such as stress, strain, and thermal properties which allows for design optimization to reduce material while delivering adequate performance.
Other Engineering Services
Learn more about our wide range of engineering services that can help make your project a success!
If you have a composite component in need of analysis or optimization contact us today!