Carbon Fiber Composite Design Rules
Layup symmetry, anisotropy, joints, and machining notes for carbon fiber parts.
Design laminates with balanced ply angles, account for anisotropy, reinforce holes, and plan galvanic isolation when mating metals.
1Layup principles
Symmetric balanced stacks reduce warp. Avoid more than four consecutive plies at the same angle. Reinforce holes with ±45° plies; hole diameter / thickness < 2.
2Mechanics
UD prepreg: ~1500–2500 MPa along fiber, 50–80 MPa transverse. Align primary loads with fiber direction.
3Joints
Bonded overlap ≥15× thickness. Mechanical fasteners need washers; edge distance ≥3× hole diameter. Insulate aluminum/steel interfaces.
4Manufacturing
CNC with diamond tooling and low feed to prevent delamination. Continuous-fiber printing for validation; autoclave for production.
Key points
- Balanced symmetric layups
- Load path along fiber
- Reinforce cutouts
- Document ply angles
- Prevent galvanic corrosion with metals
Need a suitable process for your part?
AI Quote Chat