JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #79 - March 2013 - 65

For accurate analyses of flat and curved composite panels
and cylinders – including stiffened ones – the ESAComp
4.4 version released in December 2012 introduces a geometrically non-linear analysis. Composite panels may carry
considerably higher loads than indicated by typical linear analyses, which are accurate only in the small-deflection regime. The
ESAComp analysis allows taking loads up to the buckling and
post-buckling region, which may reveal considerably different results than a linear buckling analysis. Structures may be
sensitive to even small imperfections in their shape, which is
accounted for by applying large factors of safety when using the
linear buckling analysis.
The geometrically non-linear
analysis describes
the buckling
behaviour more
accurately, thus
giving better
confidence on the
performance of
the design. The
new capability allows performing accurate non-linear analyses
with little effort already in the preliminary design phases, thus
leading to lighter and more robust designs. Further, when there
is a need for performing analyses of the complete structure with
general FE software, the ESAComp panel and cylinder analyses
provide additional information as to whether geometric nonlinearities should be considered in those analyses as well.

Multi-sector

www.esacomp.com

VERICUT composite applications > Booth R66

VERICUT Composite Programming (VCP) software
reads CAD surfaces and ply boundary information and
creates fibre-placement paths to add material according to
user-specified manufacturing standards and requirements.
Composite lay-up paths are linked together to form specific
sequences and are output as numerical control (NC) programs
for the automated fibre placement (AFP) machine.
VERICUT Composite Simulation (VCS) software reads CAD
models and simulates the lay-up sequence directly from NC
program files. The simulated material applied to the form can
be measured and inspected to ensure the NC program follows
manufacturing standards and requirements.
VERICUT Composite Paths for Engineers (VCPe) provides
the same features as VCP but without being configured to
program a specific AFP machine. VCPe will allow design and
production engineers to develop manufacturing strategies for
composite parts and test for manufacturability in a virtual environment.
www.cgtech.com

Multi-sector

Non-linear analysis of
> Booth V8
composite panels and cylinders

Web Industries
acquires CAD Cut

> Booth G56

Web Industries, Inc., a leader in custom manufacturing and
development services for flexible materials, recently acquired CAD Cut, Inc., the leading provider of fabric cutting
and kitting services for the aerospace, medical, and industrial
fabrics markets. Under the terms of this transaction, Web has
purchased essentially all of the assets of CAD Cut, including
the company name, and will continue to operate CAD Cut’s
facilities in Middlesex, Vermont, and Denton, Texas.
CAD Cut utilizes the latest in computer-controlled laser and
knife cutting systems, supply chain management services and
world-class quality systems. The company specializes in providing composite ply kits to the aerospace, aviation, defence, and
industrial markets and also manufactures multilayer insulation
blankets for cryogenic applications in medical devices, as well
as process aids for wind tunnel testing devices.
The synergy between the two companies is especially strong in
the aerospace sector, where Web is the recognized leader in providing precision composite slit tape for automated manufacturing, and CAD Cut has a strong background in providing precut
and kitted material for hand layup of advanced composite parts.
The addition of CAD Cut’s capabilities to Web Industries’ existing array of proprietary services will allow the company to offer
a full range of advanced composite formatting solutions.
www.webindustries.com
Multi-sector

Multi-sector

Simulation

Streamlining decisions between > Booth X56
designers and analysts

In today’s competitive environment, there is less time
than ever to get innovative products to market. Due to the
complexity of designing composite products, organizations
run the risk of failing to achieve first-to-market advantage. One
of the most significant bottlenecks is the lack of communication between the analyst and the designer. The exchange of
information between these disciplines is critical to the successful
development of a composite product, but currently this exchange
is not possible due to lack of interoperability and incompatible
data formats. The Fibersim 13 portfolio of software for composites engineering from Siemens PLM Software introduces a new
workflow that enables analysts and designers to communicate
unambiguously to make smarter decisions and better products.
The analysis representation can be brought directly into the CAD
design environment, allowing the designer to visualize, understand and compare their composite definition to the analyst’s.
The designer is able to implement both information and geometry directly ensuring that only those changes intended by the
analyst are applied. In addition, analysts often define ply requirements by elements or clusters of elements on a meshed surface,
thus creating rough approximations of the boundaries. Fibersim
13 gives the designer the tools to refine the boundary definition
as provided by the analyst to obtain ply boundaries that can be
used for detailed design.
www.siemens.com/plm/fibersim
No79 March 2013 /

jec composites magazine 65

http://www.webindustries.com http://www.esacomp.com http://www.cgtech.com http://www.siemens.com/plm/fibersim

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #79 - March 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #79 - March 2013