Laminate Design
Design load, safety factor, layup selection, ply count, orientation distribution, laminate thickness, fibre/resin weight, and tensile stress screening.
Open calculator hubDesign Tools
Practical design checks for early FRP engineering work.
Composite Desk helps FRP teams move from rough material estimates into structured preliminary checks for laminate schedules, sandwich panels, core choices, and deflection limits.
Pro Design Workflows
The Pro design-tool set turns material assumptions into preliminary checks.
Each workflow is built around explicit inputs, visible outputs, and engineering notes so teams can discuss assumptions before moving into detailed validation.
Design Architecture
The design workflow connects material selection, laminate checks, panel checks, and reporting.
Material Selection
Laminate Design
Ply / Stack-Up
Weight Estimate
Deflection Check
Core Selection
Sandwich Panel Check
Safety Review
Report Inputs
Tool Detail
What each Pro design tool asks for and returns.
Laminate Design Calculator
For flat FRP laminates subjected to in-plane tensile load.
- Inputs
- Required load, laminate width, safety factor, fibre type, GSM, ply count, fibre orientation, resin system, fibre/resin ratio, cured ply thickness.
- Outputs
- Design load, total laminate thickness, fibre weight, resin weight, laminate weight, estimated tensile stress, utilization, and preliminary pass/fail status.
- Example
- E-glass/epoxy laminate carrying 20 kN across a 100 mm section with safety factor 2.
Sandwich Panel Design Calculator
For foam or honeycomb-core FRP panels such as side walls, ceilings, partitions, and equipment enclosures.
- Inputs
- Panel size, skin thickness, core thickness, skin and core properties, applied pressure, support condition, safety factor, allowable deflection.
- Outputs
- Panel weight, areal weight, bending stiffness, core shear stiffness, total pressure load, deflection, core shear, face stress, crushing check, and safety factor.
- Example
- Railway interior side-wall panel, 2000 x 1000 mm, 1.5 mm skins, 20 mm core, 2 kPa pressure load.
Panel Deflection Calculator
For serviceability checks where visible sag, vibration, joint movement, water ponding, or user comfort matters.
- Inputs
- Panel length, width, thickness, elastic modulus, load, support type, safety factor, and allowable deflection ratio.
- Outputs
- Simply supported deflection, fixed-end deflection, selected design deflection, allowable deflection, utilization, and status.
- Example
- 2 m x 1 m solid FRP panel under 500 N/m2 load using L/250 or project-specific deflection limits.
Core Selection Calculator
For comparing core material and thickness options against stiffness, weight, shear, compression, and cost priorities.
- Inputs
- Panel dimensions, support condition, applied load, allowable deflection, skin properties, candidate core, density, shear strength, and shear modulus.
- Outputs
- Recommended core, core thickness, estimated deflection, core shear stress, skin stress, crushing check, weight, score, and excluded-material notes.
- Example
- Compare PVC 60, PVC 80, PVC 100, PET 80, PET 100, and balsa for a 2 m x 1 m panel.
Example Outputs
Show design alternatives instead of one unexplained answer.
Useful design tools should show alternatives, pass/fail status, and reasoning. That is what makes the Pro tools more valuable than simple formula calculators.
Preliminary laminate recommendation
- Requirement
- 20 kN tensile load across 100 mm width, safety factor 2.
- Material
- E-glass / epoxy screening material.
- Recommended layup
- [0 / +45 / -45 / 90]s, 8 plies.
- Thickness
- Approx. 2.0 mm total thickness.
- Outputs
- Fibre weight, resin weight, laminate weight, tensile stress, utilization, and safety status.
Railway side-wall panel screening
- Panel
- 2000 x 1000 mm sandwich panel.
- Construction
- 1.5 mm / 1.5 mm FRP skins with 20 mm PVC foam core.
- Weight
- Approx. 14.6 kg total, 7.3 kg/m2 areal weight.
- Checks
- Bending stiffness, core shear, face stress, core crushing, deflection, local insert review.
- Status
- Preliminary pass when assumptions and allowable limits are satisfied.
Configuration
Skin
Core
Thickness
Weight
Deflection
Result
A1.0 mm glass FRP20 mm PVC22 mm11.5 kg14.2 mmFail
B - Optimum1.5 mm glass FRP20 mm PVC23 mm14.6 kg8.1 mmPass
C2.0 mm glass FRP20 mm PVC24 mm17.7 kg5.9 mmPass
D1.5 mm glass FRP25 mm PVC28 mm15.4 kg5.2 mmPass
Deflection Reference
Use application-specific deflection limits as a starting point.
These limits are planning references. Users should override them when project specifications or approved standards require stricter values.
Application
Typical limit
2 m span reference
Reason
Decorative panels / coversL/15013.3 mmAppearance is the primary concern.
Roof panels, lightly loadedL/18011.1 mmControls sag and water ponding.
Wall claddingL/20010.0 mmControls visual distortion.
General structural FRP panelsL/2508.0 mmCommon serviceability criterion.
Railway interior panelsL/3006.7 mmMinimizes vibration, rattling, and joint movement.
Precision equipment enclosuresL/3605.6 mmUsed where alignment matters.
Workflow
How the design tools fit into the platform.
Estimate
Use Basic calculators to establish panel weight, glass requirement, resin consumption, and first material quantities.
Select
Screen fibre, resin, and core systems against weight, stiffness, chemical resistance, fire requirements, cost, and manufacturing fit.
Check
Run preliminary laminate, sandwich panel, core, and deflection checks before moving into formal validation.
Quote
Carry quantities into costing, material take-off, BOM, and quotation workflows for a more consistent commercial handoff.
Advanced Modules
Additional structural tools should stay out of the public promise until their source files are ready.
Beam checks, buckling, joints, bonded connections, orientation optimization, and vibration checks are valuable future modules, but their detailed source files are still not populated enough for launch.
FRP Beam Calculator
FRP Buckling Calculator
FRP Joint Design Calculator
Bonded Joint Calculator
Laminate Orientation Optimization
Natural Frequency Calculator
Pro Access
Want to test these design workflows with your own FRP project?
Request Pro access or consultation and describe the product, panel size, material system, loading condition, or design problem you want to evaluate.