Creating Plies From Zones

You can create plies from zones.

Note: This task is available in Composites Design.

This task shows you how to:

Create Plies
Use a Stack-Up File
Create Full Plies and ETBS
Modify the Contour of a Zones Group
Generate a Staggering Data File

Create Plies

You can create plies directly.

From the Zones Design section of the action bar, click Plies From Zones .
In the dialog box, select the group of zones from which you want to create plies.
In the tree, select the sequence or the plies group where you want to insert the plies.
Optional: Select the Create plies from Zones with Taper check box to create plies from zones with a transition zone.

Use a Stack-Up File

You can create plies from a stack-up file.

Select the Use Stack-Up File check box to import the stack-up file you may have previously created from zones.
- The import enables you to manually modify the provided stack-up and create the correct laminate.
- You can only modify the plies order.
1. Import the file as explained in Import, Export, and Manage External Data, both for the location and the format.
Optional: Select the Create plies without staggering check box to create plies without a staggered geometry.

Create Full Plies and ETBS

You can create full plies and ETBS.

Select the Create full plies and ETBS check box to create plies and the corresponding ETBS (edges to be staggered).
The ETBS can be used later on when using the limit contour feature to modify the plies.
For each zones group, an ETBS group is created tree, under the ETBS Group of Zones Group.x node.
Note: If you modify the contours of the zone in zones group, the corresponding ETBS group is modified as well and an update symbol is displayed on the ETBS's.
Click Update to propagate the changes in the zone group to the ETBS's.

Modify the Contour of a Zones Group

You can modify the contour of a zones group: in addition to the ETBS group, a feature corresponding to the external contour, that is, the edge of part (EOP), of the zone group is generated. The full plies contour is the input geometry of all the plies contours. Therefore, if you modify the contour of zones group, the change is propagated to the full plies contour and the plies contour as shown in the example below.

Select the plane on which the zones group is defined.
1. Double-click the plane to open the Plane Definition dialog box.
2. Modify the offset value to -100mm.
Click OK to validate.
The contour of the zones group moves, so does the full plies contour and the plies contour.
Select the contour of ply to verify that it has been updated as well after modifying the zones group contour.
Notes:
- The associativity between the EOP of the zones group and the plies exists at the geometrical level, not the laminate. In case there is a change of surface, any modification made on the plies is kept on the new surface.
- In certain cases, when the full plies contour is modified, you are warned that the ply contour will be modified accordingly.
- If the ply contour has been modified before you create an additional contour to the zone, the ply contour remains in last position in the tree.

Generate a Staggering Data File

You can generate a staggering data file.

This data file provides the following information:

The shapes
The sets of zones, direction, number of plies for each shape
The names of the plies for each shape
The set of edges to be staggered for each shape
The value, the step, and the direction of each edge to be staggered
The InvRelDir column that enables you to change the

Select the Generate staggering data file check box to create a file containing the values of each ETBS.
- The edges to be staggered are created in an open body.
- All the created plies share the same EEOP as the Composite part.
Export the file as explained in Import, Export, and Manage External Data, both for the location and the format.

To see the staggering data file content after creating the plies, select the Open Staggering Data File after creation check box.

The file looks like this (depending on the width of columns, some text may be hidden, for example Value is in fact Value(Millimeter))

 
#	      #	        #	     #	   #	    #	  Qty	 #	    #	     #	     #	    #	     #	    # 
Shape	  Material	 Zone.1	Zone.2	   0 	   45	   -45	    90	Total Ply Qty					
1	      KEVLAR4   X		              2	     2	     2	     2	     8					
2	      KEVLAR4	  X	     X	        1	     1	     1	      1	    4					
#													
#													
Shape.1	Material	 Zone.1	Zone.2	Ply Qty									
#	      KEVLAR4	X	8									
#													
#	Orientation	Plies	InvRelDir	ETBS	  ETBS.1	ETBS.1	ETBS.1	ETBS.2	ETBS.2	ETBS.2	ETBS.3	ETBS.3	ETBS.3 
#					                               Value  Step	  InvDir	Value 	Step	  InvDir	Value 	Step	InvDir 
#	         90	Ply.1	   1	     ETBS.1	    3	      0	    -1	     3	     0	     1	     3	     0	    -1 
#	          0	Ply.2		         ETBS.2	    3	      1	    -1	     3	     1	     1	     3	     1	    -1 
#	          0	Ply.3		         ETBS.3	    3	      2	    -1	     3	     2	     1	     3	     2	    -1 
#	        -45	Ply.4			                   3	      3	    -1	     3	     3	     1	     3	     3	    -1 
#	         45	Ply.5			                   3	      4	    -1	     3	     4	     1	     3	     4	    -1 
#	         45	Ply.6			                   3	      5	    -1	     3	     5	     1	     3	     5	    -1 
#	        -45	Ply.7			                   3	      6	    -1	     3	     6	     1	     3	     6	    -1 
#	         90	Ply.8			                   3	      7	    -1	     3	     7	     1	     3	     7	    -1 
Shape.2	Material	 Zone.1	 Zone.2	Ply Qty									
#	      KEVLAR4	  X	      X	           4									
#													
#	Orientation	Plies	InvRelDir	ETBS									
#													
#	         90	Ply.9											
#	         45	Ply.10											
#	        -45	Ply.11											
#	          0	Ply.12

The ETBS are sorted in consecutive geometrical order.

If there are two sets of ETBS that are to be used to relimit the same set of plies, an empty space is inserted in the ETBS column between the various sets of ETBS. Inserting an empty space between each ETBS of the shape creates distinct limit contours.

Example:

There is no empty space between ETBS.1 and ETBS.2. Their data are read together and this creates one limit contour. The data of ETBS.3 and ETBS.4 are also read together and create one limit contour. As there is one space between ETBS.1/ETBS.2 and ETBS.3/ETBS.4, the two contours created are distinct.

The data contained in the staggering data file can then be used to create a limit contour feature for each ply.
The Stacking node includes the set of sequences (order), and for each sequence, the associated ply (containing the Attributes and the Geometry).

Plies are displayed in the 3D area according to a color code depending on their orientation.