Variable-stiffness composite panels: As-manufactured modeling and its influence on the failure behavior

The introduction of tow-steered laminates in structural applications demands reliable design methodologies to predict and simulate their mechanical response. The full details about the mechanisms that lead to damage and failure of these novel panels are not yet known. In this work, a numerical analysis tool has been developed for structural simulations in a three-dimensional domain. This paper presents a comparison between different configurations and modeling approaches of these panels. Finite element analyses are carried out to simulate the first-ply failure of tow-steered panels under tensile load. The simulations show how matrix cracking is affected by discontinuities in the fiber angle between adjacent courses and fiber-free areas resultant from manufacturing effects; whereas fiber tensile failure is directly influenced by the orientation angles of the fiber, whose distribution depends on the chosen course cutting method: on one side, or on both sides.