Abstract: Automatic laying consolidation technology can achieve in-situ consolidation of fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites. The selection of consolidation heat source directly affects the forming quality, manufacturing efficiency, and production cost. Ultrasonic consolidation technology has become a research hotspot in recent years due to its advantages such as low energy consumption, simple equipment structure and cost advantages. However, this technology faces technical bottlenecks such as relatively low molding efficiency and unclear mechanism for collaborative regulation of process parameters. The ultrasonic consolidation methods and their basic principles were first elaborated, and then the research results of ultrasonic consolidation were summarized from the aspects of process parameters, material combinations and consolidation performance for two types of process methods: multi-layer simultaneous consolidation and layer by layer additive consolidation. This article could provide a reference for the process optimization and engineering application of ultrasonic consolidation.