Review of Finite Element Simulation Methods Applied to Manufacturing and Failure Prediction in Composites Structures

Computer simulation is today a mature and essential part of many design practices that has led to improved designs and reduced development times and costs. So far most applications have concerned metal parts and processes with only a limited number of works investigating composite materials. This situation, particularly for industries now dependant on a simulation based design, will have to change if composites are to be seriously considered as a substitute for metals. This paper presents an overview of simulation applied to specific composites problems including sheet forming, 3D-braiding and impact. This work represents nearly a decade of research and development in various national and European projects. It is shown that significant progress has been made and that these complex problems can now be tackled by using state-of-the-art commercial software.