  In this paper we report a new promising idea on the design and manufacturing
of ply composite structures, tailored to exhibit maximum stiffness under given
weight constraints and loading conditions. It is based on the idea behind an
artistic technique known as "string art" - the representation of an image with
a single thread, tensioned between pins on the flat frame. A discrete
optimization algorithm has been employed recently to formalize the process of
finding a configuration of thread windings that fuses into a given greyscale
image. We demonstrate how this algorithm can be employed to approximate the
two-dimensional distribution of isotropic material, computed by a conventional
topology optimization algorithm. An optimal composite design is thus found as a
result of the following two-stage process. At the first stage, topology
optimization procedure produces regular grid of greyscale values of stiffness.
At the second stage, this distribution is approximated with a polyline,
representing the stiff reinforcement fiber in a soft matrix, according to
``string art'' optimization algorithm. The efficiency of the proposed approach
is illustrated with few simple numerical examples. Our development opens a wide
avenue for the industrial design of the new generation of fibrous composite
structures.
