Composites Design and Manufacture Recommended format for the reporting of coursework

Lecture PowerPoint

Reading Lists

Review papers

Subject Index

This page should be read in conjunction with the Guidance on Coursework:

• Access to the Composites Laboratory (Brunel 007)
• Coursework submission
• Effort
• General requirements for each classification of an honours degree
• Information
• Literature review
• Plagiarism
• Referencing the work of others
• Risk assessments
• Sampling

Report format

For the composites design and manufacture coursework, here is a recommended report format with some notes to help you avoid errors which students have made in previous years:

• Title page
  • a single page with a title, the module code and name, the author name and course and the date the report was completed.
• Abstract
  • one page to summarise what was studied and the outcomes of the work.
• Acknowledgements
  • the technicians in Brunel 007 are Richard Cullen and Greg Nash.
  • the technicians in Smeaton 001 are Richard Cullen, Greg Nash and Terry Richards.
  • the manager and technicians in the Electron Microscope Centre are Roy Moate, Pete Bond and Glenn Harper respectively.
• Contents
  • a list of each of the main headings here (and any further headings or sub-headings you create) with page numbers.
• Nomenclature (optional)
  • an alphabetical list of symbols used, especially when the report contains a number of equations.
• List of Figures
  • all CAD models, line drawings, graphs, photographs, sketches and other images should be listed as Figures and numbered consecutively.
  • every Figure should have a meaningful text description, e.g. Figure 1: Schematic of the resin infusion process
• List of Tables
  • all data presented as rows and columns should be listed as Tables and numbered consecutively.
  • every Table should have a meaningful text description, e.g. Table 1: The dimensions of the composite test samples and their fibre volume fractions.
  • when appropriate, each cell of a table should have a mean value and a standard deviation(for example "247.9 ± 35.8")
• List of Appendices
• Introduction - a review of the pertinent literature, for example:
• Paragraph on composites (3-5 references).
• Paragraph on manufacturing processes (3-5 references).
• Paragraph on mechanical testing (3-5 references).
• Paragraph on microstructural characterisation (3-5 references).
• Paragraph explaining the assignment with aims and objectives.
• Theory (optional)
  • The development of equations which would otherwise reduce the readability of the report.
• Experimental procedures - for example:
  • Composites plates were manufactured by resin infusion with a flow medium according to the procedure described in Appendix A with (conditions) on the day and using (see summary e-mail, plus?) materials.
    The plates were post-cured using (cure cycle) and subjected to mechanical testing according to the procedures described in Appendix B with (conditions) on the day on an Instron nnnn machine (serial number) with nn kN loadcell (serial number and calibration) with (appropriate parameters such as cross-head speed).
    Plates were examined to understand the microstructure and fracture surfaces using optical and electron microscopes.
    Report any additional study undertaken, e.g. determination of fibre and void volume fractions? A COSHH assessment (Sicomin SR8100 epoxy resin system product and materials safety data sheets) is included at Appendix C with risk assessments included at Appendix D.
• Results
• Summary Tables of mean values and standard deviations (for example "247.9 ± 35.8") for data
  • all data should be reduced to ~3 significant figures (i.e. 1.23 not 1.23456789 .. or .. 0.123 not 0.123456789) when presented in the report.  Adjust the units used to give numbers between 0.001 and 999.
  • spreadsheets of the full dataset, and any sample calculations, should be in Appendices.
  • Tables might include:
    • Plate number, fibre, stacking sequence, atmospheric pressure, vacuum achieved, net pressure, leak rate, mean thickness, fibre volume fraction.
    • Plate number, fibre, stacking sequence, fibre volume fraction, flexural modulus, flexural strength, flexural failure modes, interlaminar shear strength, ILSS failure modes.
• When discussing variability between different sets of data, use the coefficient of variation = standard deviation/mean.
• How thick (mean and range/standard deviation) are the samples?
• Using the Vf vs no.plies equation, what is the actual Vf achieved in the laminates produced?
• Using R-O-M/laminate analysis work out an elastic modulus?
• Calculate effective moduli, strength and ILSS for each specimen?
• Discussion - THIS IS THE IMPORTANT BIT:
• Are any of the assumptions in the analysis violated?
• Do the plates look like good composites?
• How consistent is plate thickness – correlation to applied pressure (remember that the net pressure the laminate sees is atmospheric minus bag values)?
• Do the measured mechanical properties align with calculated values?
• How close are Vf, Vv, Ef, σ' and ILSS between samples of similar configuration?
• Failure modes (using optical/electron microscopy)?
• Scope here for reporting any additional analysis, e.g. microscopy to look at fibre distribution and void content.
• Conclusions
• Do not introduce new material here.
• This must be a summary of key points from the discussion (one page or ~ five bullet points).
• References
• Bibliography (not recommended)
  • If you have read something in preparing the report and it does not justify citing it as a reference, then put it down to personal development but don't list it in the report!
• Appendices
• Appendix A: Experimental procedure for resin infusion
• Appendix B: Mechanical testing of composite samples
• Appendix C: COSHH assessment of any chemicals used
• Appendix D: Risk Assessments
• Appendix E: Load deflection curves from the mechanical tests
• Appendix F: Data tables for mechanical tests
• Appendix G: Microstructural and fractographic images from optical and electron microscopes.

If you use Appendices, Equations, Figures or Tables you should:

• refer to them in the text using an initial capital letter
• give them a meaningful caption
• IMPORTANT: indicate the source, unless you have personally created the Appendix/Equation/Figure/Table, to ensure no-one can level an accusation of plagiarism at you!!

And finally, most word processors have a Spell and Grammar Checker - use it please!