Robust genetically optimized skew laminates

The present research work explores genetically optimized skew laminates, whose stacking sequence has been varied to maximize their fundamental frequencies with the help of an efficient optimization algorithm. Genetic algorithm, rather than being applied blindly with empirical parameters, is tuned with respect to the problem at hand. Following an extensive study, genetic algorithm parameters are selected carefully so as to ensure a robust optimized stacking sequence. The sensitivity of ply angles is also investigated so as to warrant against marginal manufacturing perturbations. The safe limit for variation of ply angles without much hampering the frequency is also recommended. Validation with existing solutions illustrates the efficiency of the procedure. A wide range of results with rectangular/ skew plates of different layers having symmetric/ antisymmetric ply-orientations, subject to different boundary conditions are solved, which demonstrate the efficacy of the approach.