Development of an information model for composites design data

Material properties data, particularly those of advanced composite materials such as fiber-reinforced plastics, provides a very complex domain which is difficult to computerize. As a foundational activity supporting the development of material property databases, we have examined and modeled the data contained within this large, diverse, and intricate domain. Our primary objective was to gain a better understanding of the data involved in this system and their transformation and use. We examined the life cycle of a fiber-reinforced composite material, from a raw material to a manufactured product, focusing on the various applications which require and/or supply materials data and the types of materials data which must be included. A high-level information model was created to illustrate the overall picture of composite materials data which emerged from this analysis. This model provides a global view of the data encompassed in the domain of composite materials, and forms the basis of a formal conceptual model from which databases may be developed.