Thermoplastic composite isogrid structures.
From a digital lattice to a physical structure.
Composite layup with the RMIT capstone team.
THE CHALLENGE
Make the concept manufacturable.
Develop a lightweight composite isogrid concept for future aerostructures, with manufacturability considered from the beginning. The project connects structural behaviour in a digital model with the practical steps needed to make and test a physical panel.
THE ENGINEERING PROCESS
From model to material.
A closer look at
the work in between.
01 / Define / Design
Start with a structure we can actually make.
I developed the isogrid concept in CAD, exploring a repeating rib structure as the basis of a composite panel. The design work sits alongside the manufacturing work: the geometry has to become a buildable assembly.
CAD exploration of the isogrid panel.
02 / Iterate
Compare alternatives in three dimensions.
I iterated the concept through CAD and physical prototypes. Printed variants made the geometry tangible before committing to composite fabrication.
Physical isogrid variants produced through 3D printing.
03 / Simulate
Examine the structural behaviour.
ANSYS finite element analysis supported the design iterations. The simulation is one part of the evidence, alongside the buckling tests used to examine the behaviour of the physical structure.
ANSYS finite element analysis. Numerical comparisons are not published here.
04 / Prototype
Take the geometry off the screen.
I produced 3D-printed prototypes to bridge the gap between CAD and manufacture. These physical models let the team examine the proposed structure before moving into fibre layup and assembly.
Close-up of the printed ribs and junctions.
05 / Manufacture
From raw fibre to assembled hardware.
My hands-on work covered layup, vacuum bagging, curing, trimming, surface preparation and bonding. Working with the team connected each design iteration to a real sequence of workshop operations.
Laying up fibres with the capstone team.
06 / Test / Validate
Put the physical structure to the test.
The project included buckling tests to validate structural behaviour. The bonded assembly shown here connects the fabrication process to the structural test work.
Bonded isogrid assembly with clips, before test documentation.
WHEN THE DESIGN MET REALITY
The process is part of the design.
The design-to-build journey brings the manufacturing sequence into focus: layup, curing, trimming and bonding all sit between the CAD geometry and the final structure. My work spans that complete sequence, rather than stopping at the model.
PROJECT NOTEBOOK
The work, up close.
Select an image to explore.