Design Guidelines for High Strength Structural Composites

Recent developments in composite technology offer improved performance at lower costs. The key to successful design optimization is specifying the proper combination of reinforcement fiber/fabric, matrix resin, and manufacturing process. Designers who traditionally designed with metal and plastics, have found that a basic familiarization with the mechanical behavior of different fiber and resin combinations, enabled them to optimize designs using several technologies synergistically. The general subject areas of this paper are basic composites, reinforcing fibers and fabrics, manufacturing methods, and product engineering for value.