Slicing Algorithm and Partition Scanning Strategy for 3D Printing Based on GPU Parallel Computing

Aiming at the problems of over stacking, warping deformation and rapid adjustment of layer thickness in electron beam additive manufacturing, the 3D printing slicing algorithm and partition scanning strategy for numerical control systems are studied. The GPU (graphics processing unit) is used to slice the 3D model, and the STL (stereolithography) file is calculated in parallel according to the normal vector and the vertex coordinates. The voxel information of the specified layer is dynamically obtained by adjusting the projection matrix to the slice height. The MS (marching squares) algorithm is used to extract the coordinate sequence of the binary image, and the ordered contour coordinates are output. In order to avoid shaking of the electron gun when the numerical control system is forming the microsegment straight line, and reduce metal overcrowding in the continuous curve C⁰, the NURBS (non-uniform rational b-splines) basis function is used to perform curve interpolation on the contour data. Aiming at the deformation problem of large block components in the forming process, a hexagonal partition and parallel line variable angle scanning technology is adopted, and an effective temperature and deformation control strategy is formed according to the European-distance planning scan order of each partition. The results show that the NURBS segmentation fits closer to the original polysurface cut line, and the error is reduced by 34.2% compared with the STL file slice data. As the number of triangular patches increases, the algorithm exhibits higher efficiency, STL files with 1,483,132 facets can be cut into 4488 layers in 89 s. The slicing algorithm involved in this research can be used as a general data processing algorithm for additive manufacturing technology to reduce the waiting time of the contour extraction process. Combined with the partition strategy, it can provide new ideas for the dynamic adjustment of layer thickness and deformation control in the forming process of large parts.