Composite Laminate Calculator
Build a ply-by-ply layup from embedded material data and get laminate thickness, areal weight, part weight, fiber volume fraction, longitudinal stiffness, and structural cost.
Laminate Layup Builder
Laminate Results
Laminate Thickness
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millimeters
Areal Weight
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grams / m²
Part Weight
—
grams for entered area
Fiber Volume Fraction
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% (thickness-weighted)
Longitudinal Modulus Ex
—
GPa (0° reference axis)
Structural Cost
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USD for entered area
Formula Breakdown
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Ply Material Data Table
Standard ply properties used by the calculator: cured ply thickness, areal weight, elastic moduli, fiber volume and cost.
| Material | Thickness (mm) | Areal Wt (g/m²) | E1 (GPa) | E2 (GPa) | Vf % | Cost |
|---|
Informative Guides & Helper Articles
Best Practices for Composite Laminate Layup
Balanced symmetric stacks, ply drop-off rules, and thickness tolerance handling that separate good laminate builds from rejects.
Read Article →Guide to Composite Laminate Layup Design
Learn how ply orientation, stacking sequences, fiber volume fraction, and areal weight drive laminate weight and stiffness.
Read Article →How to Use the Composite Laminate Calculator
Computes laminate thickness, areal weight, fiber volume fraction, and cost for carbon, glass, and aramid layups.
- Enter ply areal weight (FAW) and count per orientation.
- Enter fiber density and resin system (Vf target ~55-60% prepreg, ~40-50% wet).
- Read cured thickness and weight; check [0/45/-45/90] balance.
Ply Weight to Thickness: the Vf Bridge
Cured ply thickness: t = FAW / (rho_fiber x Vf). Example: 300 g/m2 carbon (rho = 1.76 g/cm3) at 55% Vf cures to 300/(1760 x 0.55) = 0.31 mm; eight plies = 2.5 mm. Vf is the quality dial: wet layup vacuum-bagged reaches 45-55%, prepreg/autoclave 55-65% (aerospace structural minima ~60%). Design rules: quasi-isotropic needs [0/45/-45/90]s; bending stiffness scales with t cubed; core sandwich beats stacking for stiffness per gram by an order of magnitude.
Composite Laminate Calculator FAQ
What fiber volume fraction can I hit?
Wet layup with good vacuum: 45-55%. Prepreg/autoclave: 55-65%. Above 65% risks resin-starved interlaminar failure.
How thick does a cured ply come out?
t = FAW/(fiber density x Vf). 300 g/m2 carbon at 55% = ~0.31 mm.
Quasi-isotropic layup?
Equal 0/+45/-45/90 plies, symmetric about midplane. Symmetry prevents cure warp; balance prevents twist.