Stacking Sequence of Plies
The program locates the
first ply on the bottom face of the shell and the last ply at the top
face of the shell. Flipping the mesh reverses the stacking sequence. In
the images below the bottom face is colored green (default color is orange).
NOTE: For unsymmetric
laminates, reversing the sequence produces different results whereas for
symmetric laminates, reversing the sequence does not alter the results.
For unsymmetric laminates, before running
analysis, make sure that the stacking direction is consistent across all
shells and faces.
Stacking direction for models with multiple faces and/or shells (Orange
color represents bottom face of shell):
Inconsistent stacking direction across faces |
Inconsistent stacking direction across faces |
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Consistent stacking direction across every face |
Consistent stacking direction across every face |
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In the models shell elements are flipped
for some faces to make the stacking direction consistent across each face.
Related Topics
Composite
Shells
Why Composites?
Ply Angle