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D 6507, Standard Practice for the Fiber Reinforcement Orientation
Codes for Composite Materials, is now available. Adoption of the
practice enables consistent recording of material information
when designing composite materials with database consultation.
By following the orientation codes in ASTM D 6507, independent
parties on a project can compare and exchange information accurately
despite the use of diverse databases.
“For composite materials, it is very important to be able to identify
how the different layers are stacked up,” says Crystal Newton,
Ph.D., scientist, University of Delaware Center for Composite
Materials, Newark. “For example, there are two different reference
systems for angles in composite materials. Depending on which
reference system you use, a -45 may be a 135 in a different system.
This standard basically sets up or describes a consistent practice
for providing that information. Without that, you don’t really
know what material you have, so the properties are meaningless.”
ASTM D 6507 establishes orientation codes for continuous-fiber-reinforced
composite materials. Orientation codes are explicitly provided
for two-dimensional laminates and braids. The laminate code may
also be used for filament-wound materials. An added bonus is an
included method that presents subscript information in computerized
formats that do not permit subscript notation.
The coding in D 6507 was written by stakeholders from industry,
government and academia who participate on both the federal Military
Handbook 17 Committee, and on an ASTM task group of Subcommittee
D30.01 on Editorial and Resource Standards within Committee D30
on Composite Materials.
D 6507 also covers a new process. “What should also be noted is
that orientation codes for braided materials have been added,”
says Newton, who chairs Subcommittee D30.01. “That is a relatively
new area and work from NASA-Langley Research Center was drawn
on for that particular area. It’s a case where, with luck, we’ll
be ahead of the game. We are setting a standard before a number
of practices are established.”
For further technical information, contact Crystal Newton, Ph.D., University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials,
Newark, DE 19716 (302/831-1017; 302/831-8525). For committee membership
or meeting information, contact D30 Staff Manager Jim Olshefsky, ASTM (610/832-9714). //
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