Laser‐Assisted Automated Fiber Placement of Continuous Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites: A Review

ABSTRACT Continuous carbon fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic composites (CCFRTCs) have garnered significant attention in the aerospace sector due to their exceptional mechanical properties. However, manufacturing components with complex shapes remains challenging because of varying geometric and functional requirements. Additive manufacturing (AM) reduces material waste and improves efficiency. Thus, AM has become a transformative solution for producing complex CCFRTC components. Traditional AM techniques rely on conventional heat sources, which face limitations in precision, energy efficiency, and process controllability. In contrast, laser‐assisted automated fiber placement (L‐AFP) enables localized and rapid heating. This ensures precise thermal management during thermoplastic matrix consolidation, greatly improving production efficiency and quality. Motivated by the need to summarize technical gaps and guide fabrication of high‐performance CCFRTCs for demanding applications, this study seeks to explore L‐AFP technology for CCFRTCs. It elaborates on four aspects: (1) L‐AFP technology principles and equipment; (2) CCFRTC prepreg preparation and modification techniques; (3) L‐AFP process parameter responses; (4) Common defects in formed components. Furthermore, the advantages and limitations of L‐AFP are critically analyzed, and future research directions are proposed to address existing technology shortcomings.