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Al alloys and aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) are characterized by high specific strength, high specific modulus, and low density. As one of the most promising advanced lightweight materials, Al alloys and AMCs are widely used in high-speed railway, aerospace, defense, and other cutting-edge fields. However, with the urgent demand for lighter and more complex structures in these high-tech fields, traditional processing methods have shown huge limitations, such as long manufacturing process, low material utilization, restricted design and structure of parts. Fortunately, the rapid development of additive manufacturing technology in recent years has greatly expanded the flexibility of design and manufacturing. As a representative technology of metal additive manufacturing, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) has outstanding advantages such as high accuracy, high material utilization and short production cycle. LPBF of Al alloys and AMCs is an effective method for producing complex and lightweight structural parts, however, at the meantime, it also faces huge challenges. In this article, the current research status of the LPBF processed Al alloys and AMCs are reviewed with main focus on powder preparation, LPBF technology and subsequent treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]