Coupled compression RTM and composite layup optimization

A methodology for studying the implications of taking into account manufacturing at early design stages is presented. It is applied to a rectangular laminate made by RTM and compression (RTCM). The plate is designed for injection time, maximum mold pressure, stiffness and buckling. Semi-analytical, numerically inexpensive models of the processes and structure enable a thorough investigation of the couplings between process and structure by comparing four design formulations: in decoupled problems, either the process or the structure is optimized; then, the process is optimized with targetted low or high structural performance. A globalized Nelder–Mead optimization algorithm is used. The rigour of the method and the relative simplicity of the application case provide a clear description of how maximum mold pressures, injection times and final structures properties are traded-off.