OPTIMUM DESIGN OF LAMINATED COMPOSITE PLATES USING LAMINATION PARAMETERS

A NEW and unified optimal design method is established. When laminated composite plates are symmetric and orthotropic, their in-plane and flexural stiffnesses become the functions of the lamination parameters that are the functions of their stacking sequences. We use the lamination parameters as fundamental design variables in designing laminates. The feasible region of the lamination parameters is obtained on a two-dimensional plane. Optimum design points can be obtained from the geometric relations between the feasible region and an objective function. Optimum designs for required in-plane stiffness, maximum bending stiffness, buckling strength, and natural frequency of laminated plates are performed by using the proposed method. The proposed method is found to be useful for the optimum design of laminated sandwich plates and hybrid plates also. The method can be extended for multiple objective problems and strength-related problems.