An Overview of Automated Manufacturing for Composite Materials

This paper aims to present an overview of composite materials with the focus on automated manufacturing. First, it provides an initial understanding of what composite materials are, their different classifications and their advantages and disadvantages. Then, manufacturing automation is discussed along with the different classifications of robot that are commonly used and the advantages and disadvantages of automation. Market analysis shows that three industries of interest due to their advancements in composite and automated manufacturing are the automotive, aerospace and marine industries. A review of companies currently implementing composite materials and their use of automated manufacturing within these specific industries has therefore been carried out. Finally, research challenges are highlighted, along with directions for future research.