Design for Composites
Load paths, coupling and spring-in
Fibre direction, stacking order, cure shrinkage, tool CTE, geometry and thermal gradients together control structural response and post-cure angle.
In simple terms
Fibre direction, stacking order, cure shrinkage, tool CTE, geometry and thermal gradients together control structural response and post-cure angle.
Best for
Structural laminate definition and precision curved parts.
Watch out for
Spring-in does not depend only on carbon, glass, aramid or a hybrid label; it belongs to the complete material-process-tool system.
Typical applications
Panels, beams, channels, frames and vehicle shells.
Related tools
Use the calculators to turn these concepts into preliminary engineering estimates.