Ply-based workflow

The following steps summarize the overall process you should follow for a ply-based workflow.

Step	Summary	Detailed help topic
1.	Create your mesh.	Create 2D meshes with appropriate shell elements.	Element type support for laminates
2.	Create your laminate materials and ply materials.	Choose the materials best suited to your laminate. Materials can be isotropic or orthotropic. Ply Materials can be created from their matrix and fiber constituents.	Defining materials for laminate plies
3.	Create a global layup.	Define global plies and their stacking sequence.	Creating a global layupRight-click commands for global layup nodesCreating global pliesDefining plies and a stacking sequence
4.	Assign the global layup to a mesh collector.	Set the collector’s laminate physical property Stacking Recipe to Inherited from layup.	Stacking recipe
5.	Drape the global plies.	Select the draping algorithm. If you select a draping algorithm other than None, you must define the draping starting point and the fiber direction.	Draping global plies over the model
6.	Inflate the global layup.	(Optional) You can inflate a global layup:Using the 2D shell mesh and ply thicknesses.Filling the void between two 2D dependent meshes in combination with the ply thicknesses.	Inflating laminates
7.	Define the material orientation.	Define an orientation for the entire mesh, mesh collector, specific elements, or select a draped ply from which the material orientation is defined.	Fiber orientationMaterial and ply orientation
8.	Validate the draping and material orientation.	Create and review zones.	Creating zones
9.	Apply your loads and boundary conditions.		Boundary conditions
10.	Solve your laminate model.	Solve the Nastran, ANSYS, Abaqus, or Simcenter Samcef solution.	Solution and post processing
11.	Post-process the solver results.	Review your results in Pre/Post post processing.	Post-processingSolution and post processing
12.	Identify critical areas.	Review failure indices and margins of safety.	Advanced post processing of laminate resultsManaging post report solves

Learn more

Simcenter 3D Laminate Composites

Laminate definition methods

Managing laminates and layups

Zone-based workflow

Look up more details

Laminate glossary

Coordinate systems for laminates

Material and ply orientation

Element type support for laminates

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Ply-based workflow, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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