Curvature tailoring of unsymmetric laminates with an initial curvature

Abstract

An unsymmetric laminated composite having bi-stability is interesting as a morphing structure because it can sustain large deformation without energy supply and the deformed state is stable. Especially, inducing different curvature values at each stable state is important for the practical application of unsymmetric laminates. In this study, we propose a method for tailoring the curvature of unsymmetric cross-ply laminates by curing the composite on a curved tool plate. The results show that the final normal curvature tensor of unsymmetric laminates is the summation of the tool plate curvature tensor and the normal curvature tensor of the laminates.