Fiber reinforced resin composites formed of basic ply blankets

A method of creating a fiber reinforced resin composite layup based on design criteria that specifies fiber orientation directions, fiber percentages in each fiber orientation direction and composite thickness at selected different locations, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a basic ply blanket from a plurality of plies formed of fiber filaments, one ply running in each of said fiber orientation directions, the percentage relationship of the magnitude of the fibers in said plies being the same as said design criteria;
• (b) determining the thickness of said basic ply blanket;
• (c) dividing the thickness of said basic ply blanket into the thickness of said composite at said selected different locations to determine the number of basic ply blankets needed to meet said design criteria thickness at said selected different locations;
• and,
• (d) stacking a plurality of basic ply blankets such that the number of said stacked basic ply blankets at each of said selected different location equals said number determined by dividing the thickness of said basic ply blanket into the design criteria thickness at said selected location, whereby the thickness of said stacked basic ply blankets equals said design criteria thickness at each of said selected different locations.