Lesson 1 Intro Laminate Simulation

NX Laminate Composites
Student Guide
November, 2013
MT15029-s-nx9
© 2013. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights reserved
Page 1 Siemens PLM Software
Course Overview
1. Introduction to Laminate Composite Simulation

2. Zone-Based Process
3. Ply-Based Process
4. Modeling 3D Laminates
5. Materials and Micromechanics
6. Solution and Post-Processing
7. Laminate Theory
8. Laminate Failure Analysis
9. Laminate Dynamic Analysis
10. Laminate Optimization
Prerequisites
• NX Advanced Simulation Processes course.
• Working knowledge of NX Modeling.
• Familiarity with NX Nastran, MSC Nastran, ANSYS, Abaqus, or LS-DYNA.
• Basic understanding of structural analysis and composite materials.
How to use this guide
The general format for lesson content is:

• presentation
• online activity
It is preferable that you use the Student Guide and Activities in the sequence
presented.
Later lessons assume you have learned concepts and techniques taught in earlier
lessons.
If necessary, you can always refer to any previous activity where a method or
technique was originally taught.
Lesson 1
1. Introduction to Laminate Composite Simulation

2. Zone-Based Process
3. Ply-Based Process
4. Modeling 3D Laminates
5. Materials and Micromechanics
6. Solution and Post-Processing
7. Laminate Theory
8. Laminate Failure Analysis
9. Laminate Dynamic Analysis
10. Laminate Optimization
NX Laminate Composites
NXLC is a fully integrated NX CAE product for

finite element analysis of laminate structures.
Core Capabilities...
•Laminate Modeling
•Composite Materials
•Optimization
•Laminate Failure
•Laminate Validation
•NX FE Solver Interfaces
•Laminates Post Reporting
Product overview
With NX Laminate Composites, you can:

• Define a laminate as a physical property on a 2D or 3D mesh collector.
• Define a global layup composed of plies that are assigned directly on the
model geometry.
• Inflate 2D meshes to create 3D laminates.
Steps of the Composites Simulation Process
1. Create or import a geometry using NX (Optional)

2. Create the FEM and Simulation files, selecting the solver and solution type
3. If necessary, simplify the geometry in the idealized part.
4. Mesh the part
5. Define or import the materials data
6. Model the laminate(s) using a variety of techniques.
7. Validate the laminate(s)
8. Apply boundary conditions.
9. Solve the model.
10. Synthesize the ply results to determine the validity of the composite design
Laminate composites processes
Zone-based • Lets you create laminate physical properties and assign them to
process the mesh collectors.
• You define laminates on 2D and 3D elements. You can also inflate
the laminates into solid elements.
• Lets you define the plies and their draping parameters on different
Ply-based
process polygon faces or 2D meshes. The software automatically
generates the laminate physical properties from the global
layup and assigns them to the appropriate meshes or elements in
the mesh collectors.
• You define plies on 2D elements or geometry. You can then
inflate the plies into solid elements.
Laminate composites processes
To model the following composite definition:

Example
Ply-based process Zone-based process
• In a ply-based process, you need 1 laminate physical property

and 3 global plies.
• In a zone-based process, you need 4 different laminate physical
properties.
Zone-based process
Step 1: Create your mesh using shell or solid elements.

Step 2: Set the material orientation.
Step 3: On the mesh collector, create a laminate physical property by:
• Creating plies and stacking them in order to achieve desired properties.
• Selecting or creating the materials best suited to your application
Step 4: Validate your laminate.
Step 5: (Optional) Optimize your laminate.
Step 6: (Optional ) Create zones.
Step 7: (Optional) Inflate your laminate.
Ply-based process
Step 1: Create your mesh using shell elements.

Step 2: Set the material orientation.
Step 3: On the mesh collector, create a laminate physical property and set the
stacking recipe to Inherited from layup.
Step 4: Create a global layup by:
• Creating plies and stacking them in order to achieve desired properties.
• Selecting or creating the materials best suited to your application
• Attaching the plies to the mesh or the geometry using Draping options
Step 5: Create zones.
Step 6: Validate your layup.
Step 7: (Optional) Inflate your layup.
Managing laminates in NX
In NX, a laminate is a type of physical property.
• You can use the NX physical property management tools to create, copy, and
delete your laminates.
• Laminates are evaluated when they are queried by the exporters and when you
choose to do so (for example, computing zones).
• You can modify material properties after you define the laminate.
Caution
Be careful when deleting materials. The laminates application does not
lock materials nor provide warnings.
Managing layups in NX
In NX, a global layup is a simulation navigator object that points to global plies.
• You can create, copy, modify, and delete layups.
• Layups are evaluated only when they are queried by the exporters and when
you update them.
• Layups can be active or inactive. Only active layups will be queried by the
Update Global Layups and Zones command or by the exporters.
• You can modify global plies and material properties after you define the layup.
Caution
Be careful when deleting materials. The layup application does not lock
materials nor provide warnings.
Laminate glossary
Laminate
• Is composed of thin layers of material that are bonded together producing a
construction that has characteristics of each layer.
Ply
• Is a laminate layer that can be made of one or more materials.
• It is common for plies have orthotropic properties.
Core
• Is a special type of ply that is relatively thick and serves to separate plies in
order to enhance the laminate’s flexural properties.
Global Ply
• Is a ply to which you assign a unique ply ID.
• Typically used in ply-based modeling.
Laminate glossary
Layup
• Is the order in which the plies are arranged, and the directions given to
the plies.
Global Layup
• Is a NXLC simulation navigator object that contains global plies.
Ply Material
• Is an NXLC object that combines fiber and matrix NX material properties
and computes the equivalent stiffness and strength properties.
Interlaminar Properties
• Also called the Bond properties of the laminate, referring to the ability of
the matrix to maintain the layers of fibers together
• Interlaminar stresses/strains are the transverse shear stresses/strains
Coordinate systems for laminates
• X and Y axes correspond to the material orientation coordinate system, also

called laminate coordinate system.
• Z axis is normal to the laminate.
• 1 and 2 axes correspond to the ply coordinate system.
Element, material, and ply coordinate systems
Element Coordinate System

• Is defined by the elements’ node locations, and the order in which the nodes are
assigned
Material Coordinate System (XY)
• Is used for orienting properties of anisotropic or orthotropic materials, such as
those of laminate composites.
• Also referred to as the laminate coordinate system
• Overrides the element coordinate system
• Depending on the solver, it is defined at the mesh level or at the mesh collector
level.
Ply Coordinate System (12)
• For an orientation angle of 0 degrees, the ply and material (laminate)
orientations are identical
• Has its 1 axis aligned with the ply’s (warp) fiber direction.
Element and material orientation
Element orientation Material orientation,

Vertical direction
Solution and post processing
You can use Nastran, ANSYS, or Abaqus as the finite element solver.
When you select results from your model in the Post Processing Navigator,
you can view:
• 2D shell stress resultants
• Solid element forces
• Ply strains, stresses and failure indices
• For Nastran
• Interlaminar (bond) failure indices, ply and interlaminar (bond)
strength ratios
Solution and post processing
Using the advanced laminate post report metasolution, you can:
• Quickly identify critical areas using summaries.
• Envelope ply results over plies and for multiple load cases:
o Ply stress and strain
o Ply and bond failure index
o Ply and bond margin of safety
o Ply and bond strength ratio
• Sort and filter results in tabular format.
• Recalculate ply results using modified laminate definitions without launching

a new solution.
Review questions
1. Which laminate process lets you define the layups’ global plies and how they
drape on different polygon faces or 2D meshes?
a. Ply-based process
b. Zone-based process
2. Which coordinate system is independent of the mesh and used for orienting
orthotropic material properties?
a. Element coordinate system
b. Ply coordinate system
c. Material coordinate system
Answers to review questions
1. Which laminate process lets you define the layups’ global plies and how they
drape on different polygon faces or 2D meshes?
a. Ply-based process
b. Zone-based process
• a. Ply-based process lets you define the layups’ global plies and how
they drape on different polygon faces or 2D meshes.
2. Which coordinate system is independent of the mesh and used for orienting
orthotropic material properties?
a. Element coordinate system
b. Ply coordinate system
c. Material coordinate system
• c. The material coordinate system is independent of the mesh and used

for orienting orthotropic material properties.

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NX Laminate Composites

1. Introduction to Laminate Composite Simulation

• NX Advanced Simulation Processes course.

• Working knowledge of NX Modeling.

• Familiarity with NX Nastran, MSC Nastran, ANSYS, Abaqus, or LS-DYNA.

• Basic understanding of structural analysis and composite materials.

The general format for lesson content is:

1. Introduction to Laminate Composite Simulation

NXLC is a fully integrated NX CAE product for

With NX Laminate Composites, you can:

• Inflate 2D meshes to create 3D laminates.

1. Create or import a geometry using NX (Optional)

To model the following composite definition:

Ply-based process Zone-based process

• In a ply-based process, you need 1 laminate physical property

Step 1: Create your mesh using shell or solid elements.

Step 1: Create your mesh using shell elements.

In NX, a laminate is a type of physical property.

• You can create, copy, modify, and delete layups.

• X and Y axes correspond to the material orientation coordinate system, also

• Z axis is normal to the laminate.

• 1 and 2 axes correspond to the ply coordinate system.

Element Coordinate System

Element orientation Material orientation,

• Solid element forces

• Ply strains, stresses and failure indices

Using the advanced laminate post report metasolution, you can:

• Quickly identify critical areas using summaries.

o Ply and bond failure index

o Ply and bond margin of safety

o Ply and bond strength ratio

• Sort and filter results in tabular format.

• Recalculate ply results using modified laminate definitions without launching

b. Ply coordinate system

c. Material coordinate system

• c. The material coordinate system is independent of the mesh and used

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