Modeling and simulation on additive manufacturing of composite materials

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) offers the opportunity to produce parts with higher geometrical flexibility and shorter lead time. Production of composites via 3D printing makes it possible to manufacture parts with even better performance. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to conduct experiments to determine the ideal processing parameter combination that will yield the higher-performing components. As a result, it is essential to simulate and improve the 3D printing process. This study provides an overview of the recent publications on the simulation of 3D printing process of composite materials. Modeling and simulation techniques of a few commonly used 3D printing techniques, such as fused deposition modeling, stereolithography, selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, and directed energy deposition are discussed. Simulation results are summarized based on different factors, including reinforcement volume fraction, orientation, and size.