Lightweight fiber-reinforced composite structures have been applied in aerospace for decades. Their mechanical properties are crucial for the safety of aircraft and mainly depend on manufacturing technologies such as autoclave, resin transfer molding and automated layup technology. In recent years, the rapid development of intelligent technology such as big data, deep learning, and machine learning has encouraged the development of manufacturing technologies to become low-cost, automatic, and intelligent. However, the current situation and intellectualization of manufacturing technologies is not well summarized. This paper reviews the advances in manufacturing technologies for fiber-reinforced composite structures, including autoclave, out of autoclave, resin transfer molding technologies, automated layup technology and additive manufacturing technology. Then, these technologies are compared in advantages and disadvantages, and their intellectualization development and challenges are also discussed. Finally, the development trend of intelligent manufacturing technologies and intelligent composite structures are discussed. This work can provide a reference for researchers in the related filed.

The action of capillary pressure plays a crucial role in the formation of voids during the molding process of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. It is primarily driven by surface and interfacial tension, resulting in macroscopic liquid flow controlled by pressure differences. However, due to the influence of microscopic-scale effects, modeling and characterizing the capillary effects in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites presents significant challenges. This review offers a comprehensive summary of the relevant theories on capillary pressure, including fundamental theory, average capillary pressure theory, and interface enhancement theory. Furthermore, it discusses methods related to contact angle experiments, capillary pressure experiments, and multiscale numerical simulations while illustrating examples of capillary forces in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites. This paper aims to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and applications of the capillary effect in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Document Type: Invited review Cited as: Li, Z., Sun, Y., Chen, Y., Liu, Z., Tang, Y., Yang, W. Capillary-driven processing in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites: From multiscale modeling to advanced manufacturing. Capillarity, 2025, 16(3): 77-86. https://doi.org/10.46690/capi.2025.09.02