Development of manufacturing cost estimation models for advanced composites materials

The reduction of manufacturing cost is a key element in expanding the use of composites. Cost estimation model is the basis in evaluating quantitatively the processing cost of composites and a vital technical measure of decreasing the procedure cost of composite materials. Central to design for manufacturing of composites is the selection of the best material and manufacturing process for a particular product, and realizes the tradeoff between performance and cost for the product. Cost estimation is an essential part of design for manufacturing because it can establish a quantitative relationship between the technical process and the cost. The main objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the foreign manufacturing cost estimation models of advanced composites and presents the future research direction about the integrated analysis of process-performance-cost based on cost estimating.