JMEM/
Articles/
2610005507
  • Open Access
  • Systematic Review

Defect Formation, Detection, and Quality Assurance in Additive Manufacturing: A Systematic Review

  • André F. V. Pedroso 1,2,*,   
  • André H. M. Rodrigues 1,   
  • José P. C. Gonçalves 1,   
  • Marta L. S. Barbosa 1,2,   
  • Rúben D. F. S. Costa 2,3,   
  • Naiara P. V. Sebbe 1,   
  • Arnaldo G. Pinto 1 and 
  • Isabel M. Pinto 1,4

Received: 19 June 2026 | Revised: 23 September 2026 | Accepted: 27 October 2026 | Published: 10 November 2026

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the production of geometrically complex components but introduces process-dependent defects that may compromise dimensional accuracy, surface integrity and mechanical reliability. This systematic review examines defect formation, defect-sensitive quality phenomena, detection and quality assurance across the principal AM process categories, distinguishing discrete manufacturing discontinuities from geometrical deviations, surface-quality attributes and process-dependent material responses. Literature published between 2010 and 2025 was retrieved through CrossRef and screened using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-informed procedure, resulting in 134 publications included in the final analytical corpus. The synthesis shows that defect formation is governed by interacting material, process and thermal-history variables and that apparently similar defect manifestations can arise from substantially different mechanisms across AM processes. Inspection capability is likewise process- and defect-dependent: X-ray computed tomography (XCT), including micro-computed tomography (µCT), is particularly suited to internal volumetric discontinuities, whereas optical and three-dimensional scanning primarily address external geometry and surface conformity. The principal contribution of the review is an integrated process–material response–quality manifestation–performance–inspection–qualification framework that connects process-dependent defect and quality formation with engineering consequences, inspection capability, quality-assurance decision-making and industrial qualification.

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10.53941/jmem.2026.100041
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Pedroso, A. F. V.; Rodrigues, A. H. M.; Gonçalves, J. P. C.; Barbosa, M. L. S.; Costa, R. D. F. S.; Sebbe, N. P. V.; Pinto, A. G.; Pinto, I. M. Defect Formation, Detection, and Quality Assurance in Additive Manufacturing: A Systematic Review. Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing 2026. https://doi.org/10.53941/jmem.2026.100041.
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