01 / Explore composites
Stiff fibers carry load, while the surrounding matrix holds them together and transfers load between them. Change the ingredients or their arrangement and you change the material response. Start here to see what that means for a design.
Connected study preview, not a live calculation. Edit inputs and inspect results in Workbench.
All blocks keep the CREATE / DISCOVER / SIMULATE positions, with Equipment below Geometry; unused records remain disconnected. This changes the view only, not the exercise records. The diagram shows the setup, not solved results.
Only models assigned to records used by this exercise are listed here. The full-layout option preserves the supplied starter records; no Workbench records are changed.
Beam bending uses effective laminate axial stiffness, the linked section geometry, support span and applied loading. Euler–Bernoulli deflection excludes transverse shear deformation, roller contact and indentation. Ply stress recovery for rectangular laminate coupons is separate from section-level beam stress recovery.
∑ Theory & assumptionsMaterials → Laminates
Stored ply stiffness, strength, density and expansion properties.
Virtual Test → Simulation
SIMULATION selects this case and its analysis model; the case owns its applicable cycle and input references.
Laminates → Virtual Test
Ply angles and thicknesses, stiffness, mass and ply properties.
Geometry → Virtual Test
Part shape and dimensions, thickness or section definition, and model-specific geometric inputs. Each selected case consumes only the dimensions its model supports.
Equipment → Virtual Test
Linked testing machine and fixture: load capacities, fixture type, specimen-fit and support-span limits, and mounted setup dimensions. The selected test case supplies the applied loading; hardware limits are checked against its setup.
Models → Virtual Test
Applied model assignment: Euler–Bernoulli beam · Linear static. Model parameters and formulation are used by Virtual Test.
Inspect specimen width, laminate thickness, support span and central force.
Models: Euler–Bernoulli beam · ASTM D7264-26-based
Procedure A teaching setup. Transverse shear deformation, roller contact and indentation are excluded.
From aircraft to bicycles, composites help designers balance stiffness and mass. The exercises do not reproduce a manufacturer’s proprietary design or certify its performance. No manufacturer endorsement is implied.
Joby identifies its airframe as carbon-fiber composite. Manufacturer background ↗
Ask: How does stiffness per unit mass influence a weight-sensitive structure?
Explore fiber content →U.S. Air Force / Harlan Huntington · public domain in the United States. Photo source
Boeing reports that composites make up approximately 50% of the 787 airframe by weight. Manufacturer background ↗
Ask: What happens when a laminated cylinder carries pressure in two directions?
Explore a published cylinder study →Melvin Loi · CC BY-SA 2.0. Display cropped; image adaptations share the same license. Photo source · License
Carbon fibers, resin and layer placement let bicycle designers tailor composite parts. Trek describes this construction for frames, wheels and handlebars; the pictured frame is Edelsten, not Trek. Manufacturer background ↗
Ask: How does changing ply direction change the response to different loads?
Explore the laminate layup →Markus Spiske · CC0 1.0. Photo source · License
High stiffness relative to density can help in mass-sensitive structures. The benefit depends on the load, shape and fiber direction.
Try stiffness-to-weight ↑Trade-off: a stiff material is not necessarily strong, damage tolerant or stable against buckling.
Fiber orientation lets a laminate favor axial, transverse or shear response. Combining orientations makes this a structural design decision.
Change the layup →Trade-off: off-axis loading, free edges and interfaces can become critical. Delamination and impact damage need attention.
Fiber architecture and resin choice open different ways to form a component. Thermal history and moisture exposure can change its response.
Explore a thermal cycle →Trade-off: production cost, inspection, joining, repair and end-of-life recovery belong in the comparison.
Read further: US Department of Energy: lightweight materials and manufacturing challenges · ∑ Laminate assumptions and limitations.
Use this website to preview the study and check its scope. In Workbench, choose traceable material records, define geometry and loads, run the full available models and examine their limits. The links below take you to the existing shared curriculum; they use the same exercise databases.
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