Drape Estimator

Use the Drape Estimator to generate, directly into HyperMesh, draping angles and thickness variations resulting from the manufacturing process of fibers associated with plies in a composite laminate.

You can use the drape data generated by this tool, based on inverse mapping, to improve the accuracy of parts modeled with composite materials.
Note: The Drape Estimator is available in the LS-DYNA, Nastran, OptiStruct and Radioss user profiles.

Use the Drape Estimator

To open the Drape Estimator, right-click on a single ply or multiple plies in the Model Browser, and then select Drape > Drape Estimator from the context menu.


Figure 1. The Drape Estimator is being used to generate drape data for all 11 plies in the model

Once the Drape Estimator has finished generating the drape data, Engineering Solutions creates a drape table for each selected ply inside the Table folder in the Model Browser.



Figure 2. The Drape Estimator generated 11 drape tables for the 11 plies in the model

Review and Edit Data Generated by the Drape Estimator

  1. Review and edit the data generated by the Drape Estimator in the Entity Editor by selecting a drape table in the Model Browser.


    Figure 3. Entity Editor is Activated for the P001_DrapeTabe
  2. To review the drape data for this table, click .
    The drape data available in this table include: DTYPE, DID, T, and THETA.
  3. Modify this data by clicking a field and entering a new value.


    Figure 4.

Example: Drape Estimator

  1. In the Model Browser, right-click on the Ply folder and select Edit from the context menu.


    Figure 5.
  2. In the Edit Ply dialog, select the Update system checkbox, and then activate the systems selector.
  3. Click Systems then enter 1 in the id= field.


    Figure 6.
  4. Click proceed.
  5. Click Update.
  6. From the 2D page, click composites.
  7. Go to the material orientation subpanel and activate the elems selector.
  8. In the elements select window, click displayed.
  9. Click Systems then enter 1 in the id= field.
  10. Click Assign.
  11. Click Return.
  12. In the Model Browser, right-click on the Ply folder and select Drape Estimator from the context menu.
    The Drape Estimator generates drape data for the 11 plies in the model.
  13. From the menu bar, click File > Export > Solver Deck.
  14. In the File field, navigate to your working directory and save the drape data.
  15. Click Export.
    Engineering Solutions creates a drape card of the data generated by the Drape Estimator and exports it to the solver deck.


    Figure 7.