This work is intended to characterize the mechanical behavior of hybrid carbon–glass composite plates under combined loading of bending and torsion, and to determine the optimal ply fiber orientations to minimize the maximum out-of-plane displacement under such loading conditions. Hybrid composite plates were manufactured with 10 plies each and different stacking sequences using hand lay-up, with carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforcements in an epoxy matrix. Two experimental setups (involving two distinct boundary conditions) are here considered to test the composite plates, both simulating combined loading of bending and torsion. Numerical simulations of the experimental tests were performed in ABAQUS® and validated with the experimental data. Using the ply fiber orientations as design variables, the hybrid composite plates were then optimized using global and local optimization using direct search (GLODS). The objective function of minimization of the maximum out-of-plane displacement is carried out through an interactive cycle between GLODS and ABAQUS®. Specimens of three optimized laminates were also manufactured for experimental validation. The optimization process contributed to improve the performance of the hybrid composite plates in more than 30% when compared to some non-optimized plates.

Weight reduction is an important driver of the aerospace industry, which encourages the development of lightweight joining techniques to substitute rivet joints. Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state process that enables the production of lighter joints with a small performance reduction compared to the base material properties. Increasing the FSW lap joint performance is an important concern. Friction stir weld bonding is a hybrid joining technology that combines FSW and adhesive bonding in order to increase the mechanical properties of FSW lap joints. FSW and hybrid lap joints were produced, using 2-mm-thick AA6082-T6 plates and a 0.2-mm-thick adhesive layer. Defect detection using the non-destructive test, phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT), has been made. Microscopic observations were performed in order to validate the phased array ultrasonic testing results. Lap shear strength tests were carried out to quantify the joint’s quality. PAUT inspection successfully detected non-welded specimens but was not able to distinguish specimens with major hook defects from specimens correctly weld bonded with small hook defects.