Materials science

Selective laser sintering

Composite number

Manufacturing engineering

Engineering

Composite material

3D printing

Sintering

Aerospace engineering

Stereolithography

Fused deposition modeling

Automotive industry

The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology

Additive manufacturing (AM) of polymer-based composites in the automotive industry has enjoyed tremendous progress in recent times. The use of this manufacturing technique has made it possible for the manufacturing of cost-effective, single, complex and customized automotive components. Of all the available additive manufacturing techniques, stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modelling (FDM), laminated object manufacturing (LOM) and inkjet are the most used in the creation of polymer composite parts in the automotive industry. In spite of the success recorded in the use of AM of polymer composites in the automotive industry, the technology is limited by the size and quantity of parts produced as some of the components are massive in size and often requires mass production. Hence, AM should be a complement and not a replacement to traditional manufacturing methods in the automotive industry. In this review, the progress made and some of the challenges that are associated with the use of AM of polymer-based composites in the automotive industry are presented.

Recent development in the additive manufacturing of polymer-based composites for automotive structures—a review