Objective While dealing with design of composite structures, the number of design variables is so high that the feeling of engineers is rarely sufficient to optimise the design. In this project, sizing, shape and topological optimisation techniques are applied to several types of composites in order to reach a highly efficient use of materials in structures. Starting from present design methodologies and dealing with technological constraints coming from manufacturing processes, the aim is to develop new design methodologies allowing to enhance the quality of products and decrease the time to market new products. In order to achieve the goals, customised design systems will be build and tested in the context of SME's and big companies. New parametric modellers will be build and integrated within the customised environment. A very important feature is that the whole problem here will be treated at the geometrical level (not at the finite element one). That must guarantee, user friendliness of the proposed software tools. New design and optimisation algorithms will also be integrated. The general architecture will be the BOSS QUATTRO system, developed thanks to an other B/E project (OPTIM). The result will then be a toolbox available for further customisation in other applications. Metallic composite panels are considered here as well as classical multi layered composites. Different ways to formulate the design problem are studied and compared: sizing of plies, shape optimisation of laminates on the shell, topology of laminates etc. The problems of uncertainty and sensitivity to manufacturing defects will also be studied using rigorous methods. As part of the customisation task, the best formulations will be selected with respect to targeted design problems. Experimental testing will allow to check the accuracy of the obtained solutions. Fields of science engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwareengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcompositesnatural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicstopology Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0201 - Materials engineering Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Marine Computation Services Ltd. Address Merchants road 90 Galway Ireland See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all AACHEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address 53 b,steinbachstraße 53 b 52056 Aachen See on map Association Léonard de Vinci France EU contribution € 0,00 Address 92916 Paris la défense See on map Domeco of Central Greece Industrial SA Greece EU contribution € 0,00 Address 2,leosthenous street 2 35100 Emporiko kentro lamias See on map Mayr Faserverbundtechnik GmbH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address 14,oberaustraße 14 83026 Rosenheim See on map SAMTECH SA Belgium EU contribution € 0,00 Address 25,parc scientifique du sart-tilman, rue des chasseur 4031 Angleur See on map SIREHNA - SOCIÉTÉ D'INGÉNIÉRIE, DE RECHERCHES ET D'ETUDES EN HYDRODYNAMIQUE NAVALE SA France EU contribution € 0,00 Address Rue de la noe 1, immeuble atlanpole 44321 Nantes See on map Université de Liège Belgium EU contribution € 0,00 Address 21,rue ernest solvay 21 4000 Liège See on map