ABSTRACT
Manufacturing processes of polymer matrix composites (PMCs) mainly involve the selection of suitable materials, design concepts and the fabrication techniques. Generally, the advanced composites are designed materials. Among the spectrum of reinforcement and matrix materials available, the properties of PMCs can be optimised for a specific application. The enormous design flexibility of PMCs can be achieved at the cost of a large number of design variables. This chapter introduces the range of primary manufacturing processes for the PMCs and their recent challenges. It also focuses on the principles and mechanisms in relation to the methods of processing of PMCs. The effect of various processing variables on the performance of composites is also discussed in this chapter.
