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Slicing Algorithm and Partition Scanning Strategy for 3D Printing Based on GPU Parallel Computing
1State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 7, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a novel 3D printing slicing algorithm and scanning strategy for electron beam additive manufacturing, significantly reducing errors and improving efficiency for large part production.
Area of Science:
- Additive Manufacturing
- Computational Geometry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Electron beam additive manufacturing faces challenges with over-stacking, warping, and layer thickness control.
- Existing slicing algorithms and scanning strategies struggle with large components and precision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an advanced 3D printing slicing algorithm and partition scanning strategy for numerical control systems.
- To address warping deformation and enable rapid layer thickness adjustment in electron beam additive manufacturing.
- To improve precision and efficiency in the fabrication of large components.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Graphics Processing Units (GPU) for parallel slicing of 3D models from Stereolithography (STL) files.
- Employed the Marching Squares (MS) algorithm for contour extraction and Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) for curve interpolation.
- Implemented a hexagonal partition and parallel line variable angle scanning strategy with European-distance planning for temperature and deformation control.
Main Results:
- NURBS segmentation demonstrated a 34.2% reduction in error compared to STL slice data, fitting closer to the original polysurface cut line.
- The algorithm's efficiency increased with the number of triangular patches; a large STL file (1,483,132 facets) was sliced into 4488 layers in 89 seconds.
- The developed strategy effectively controlled temperature and deformation during the forming process of large parts.
Conclusions:
- The proposed slicing algorithm offers a general data processing solution for additive manufacturing, reducing contour extraction time.
- The combined slicing and partition strategy provides innovative approaches for dynamic layer thickness adjustment and deformation control in large part fabrication.
- This research enhances the precision, efficiency, and control capabilities of electron beam additive manufacturing for complex geometries.
