A high level of structural efficiency is required in order to help achieve competitive performance from modern commercial aircraft. Quality data is essential to confidently optimize complex structures with respect to stress, weight and cost. One response to the challenge has necessitated the development of improved analysis techniques involving photoelasticity as a design tool—‘a better than average stress model’ (unfortunately the phrase is not original).
Linear-elastic epoxy stress models can quickly determine precise stress levels and distributions of the required quality using reflective photoelasticity and may be supplemented by strain gauges.
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