A review on laser-assisted manufacturing process of thermoset composites: A review of fundamentals, processes, scientific modelling, challenges and prospective

Abstract

Thermoset composites are vital materials in modern manufacturing due to their exceptional mechanical properties, chemical resilience, and thermal endurance across diverse industries. However, conventional manufacturing methods often struggle to achieve precise control over fabrication processes and optimize material characteristics. The emergence of laser-assisted manufacturing presents a promising solution to these challenges, offering novel avenues for advancing thermoset composite production. By harnessing laser energy’s unique attributes such as localized heating and precise material processing control, laser-assisted manufacturing provides unprecedented opportunities for attaining superior quality, intricate geometries, and tailored properties in thermoset composites. This comprehensive review addresses the pressing needs and gaps in the fundamentals, processes, scientific modeling, challenges, and prospective developments in laser manufacturing processes for thermoset composites. This study examines thermoset composites’ behavior, focusing on structures and properties. Section 3 discusses laser-composite interaction fundamentals, including heating principles and energy absorption mechanisms. Section 4 explores tailored laser manufacturing techniques, and Section 5 covers modeling approaches. Section 6 addresses challenges and future prospects, while Section 7 presents conclusions guiding innovation in laser-assisted manufacturing for thermoset composites. Subsequent sections will explore thermoset composite fundamentals (Section 2) and laser-composite interaction (Section 3), covering heating principles, energy transfer, and thermal effects. Section 4 will examine laser manufacturing techniques, with comparative analysis. Modeling approaches will be discussed in Section 5, while Section 6 addresses challenges and future prospects.