Optimal Design of CFRP Railway Carbody Laminates via Multi-Criterion Fiber Orientation Sensitivity.
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| Title: | Optimal Design of CFRP Railway Carbody Laminates via Multi-Criterion Fiber Orientation Sensitivity. |
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| Authors: | Cascino, Alessio1 (AUTHOR) alessio.cascino@unifi.it, Meli, Enrico1 (AUTHOR), Rindi, Andrea1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Materials (1996-1944). Apr2026, Vol. 19 Issue 7, p1355. 20p. |
| Subjects: | Fiber orientation, Structural optimization, Rolling stock, Fiber-reinforced plastics, Multi-objective optimization, Finite element method, Structural failures |
| Abstract: | The research presented in this work focuses on the structural optimization of a multilayer CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) laminate integrated within a railway carbody frame. The primary objective is to implement a systematic design methodology aimed at achieving significant mass reduction while preserving the mechanical performance and safety margins required by railway standards. To this end, a multi-stage optimization framework was developed to explore the sensitivity of fiber orientation on the laminate's failure behavior, directly coupled with high-fidelity finite element models for objective performance extraction. The investigation was initially conducted using an asynchronous optimization strategy, where the orientation of each individual ply was decoupled and analyzed independently. This phase revealed that a tailored, ply-specific approach is essential to address the varying structural requirements across the laminate thickness. Through this methodology, an optimal sequence of 36°/54°/126° was identified, achieving a significant 40.83% reduction in the Tsai–Wu failure index compared to a standard 0°/0°/0° baseline. Subsequently, a synchronous rotation analysis was performed to compare these results against conventional single-orientation design strategies. While the synchronous optimum was identified at 54°, it yielded a lower failure index reduction of 24.81%. The comparison highlights a further 16% performance gain enabled by the asynchronous method. Finally, the validation confirmed that these in-plane improvements were achieved without compromising interlaminar integrity, as the interlaminar shear stress (ILSS) remained constant and safe. This framework provides an objective and rigorous tool for the railway industry, replacing empirical design methods with a high-performance, data-driven approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Materials (1996-1944) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 192958717 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Optimal Design of CFRP Railway Carbody Laminates via Multi-Criterion Fiber Orientation Sensitivity. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cascino%2C+Alessio%22">Cascino, Alessio</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> alessio.cascino@unifi.it</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meli%2C+Enrico%22">Meli, Enrico</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rindi%2C+Andrea%22">Rindi, Andrea</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Materials+%281996-1944%29%22">Materials (1996-1944)</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 19 Issue 7, p1355. 20p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fiber+orientation%22">Fiber orientation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+optimization%22">Structural optimization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rolling+stock%22">Rolling stock</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fiber-reinforced+plastics%22">Fiber-reinforced plastics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multi-objective+optimization%22">Multi-objective optimization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finite+element+method%22">Finite element method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+failures%22">Structural failures</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The research presented in this work focuses on the structural optimization of a multilayer CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) laminate integrated within a railway carbody frame. The primary objective is to implement a systematic design methodology aimed at achieving significant mass reduction while preserving the mechanical performance and safety margins required by railway standards. To this end, a multi-stage optimization framework was developed to explore the sensitivity of fiber orientation on the laminate's failure behavior, directly coupled with high-fidelity finite element models for objective performance extraction. The investigation was initially conducted using an asynchronous optimization strategy, where the orientation of each individual ply was decoupled and analyzed independently. This phase revealed that a tailored, ply-specific approach is essential to address the varying structural requirements across the laminate thickness. Through this methodology, an optimal sequence of 36°/54°/126° was identified, achieving a significant 40.83% reduction in the Tsai–Wu failure index compared to a standard 0°/0°/0° baseline. Subsequently, a synchronous rotation analysis was performed to compare these results against conventional single-orientation design strategies. While the synchronous optimum was identified at 54°, it yielded a lower failure index reduction of 24.81%. The comparison highlights a further 16% performance gain enabled by the asynchronous method. Finally, the validation confirmed that these in-plane improvements were achieved without compromising interlaminar integrity, as the interlaminar shear stress (ILSS) remained constant and safe. This framework provides an objective and rigorous tool for the railway industry, replacing empirical design methods with a high-performance, data-driven approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Materials (1996-1944) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.3390/ma19071355 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 20 StartPage: 1355 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Fiber orientation Type: general – SubjectFull: Structural optimization Type: general – SubjectFull: Rolling stock Type: general – SubjectFull: Fiber-reinforced plastics Type: general – SubjectFull: Multi-objective optimization Type: general – SubjectFull: Finite element method Type: general – SubjectFull: Structural failures Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Optimal Design of CFRP Railway Carbody Laminates via Multi-Criterion Fiber Orientation Sensitivity. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cascino, Alessio – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Meli, Enrico – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Rindi, Andrea IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Text: Apr2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 19961944 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 19 – Type: issue Value: 7 Titles: – TitleFull: Materials (1996-1944) Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
