OPTIMUM DESIGN OF A COMPOSITE STRUCTURE WITH MANUFACTURING CONSTRAINTS

Composite designs produced by multidisciplinary optimization computer programs are often expensive or impossible to produce. In this paper, constraints needed in the optimization process to reduce manufacturing cost or reduce the need for post-optimization design changes are presented. The interactions of the manufacturing constraints with other constraints and the design variable scheme are investigated. Additionally, a design case study is performed, comparing wings designed with a conventional method and the method described in this paper. The designs were built and tested to verify modelling assumptions and the effectiveness of the manufacturing constraints.