A Novel Parametrical Approach to the Ribbed Element Slicing Process in Robotic Additive Manufacturing

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Manufacturing Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM) is widely used for prototyping and producing functional parts.
• Industrial robots are increasingly adopted for AM, offering greater dimensional capabilities and structural integrity than conventional 3D printers.
• Integrating robots into AM necessitates novel solutions for streamlined prototyping and manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the need for new slicing methods in robotic additive manufacturing.
• To present an alternative solution for control code generation without relying on external slicers.
• To demonstrate a novel approach to the slicing process specifically for robotic AM.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel slicing method for robotic additive manufacturing.
• Implementation of an alternative control code generation process.
• Adoption of the method for fused granular fabrication using thermoplastic polymers.

Main Results:

• Achieved a reduction of over 80% in G-code generation time compared to traditional methods.
• Demonstrated a significantly faster and more efficient approach to robotic AM slicing.
• Successfully applied the novel slicing method to fused granular fabrication.

Conclusions:

• The proposed slicing method offers a substantial improvement in efficiency for robotic additive manufacturing.
• This approach streamlines the G-code generation process, outperforming conventional techniques.
• The method is effective for fused granular fabrication with thermoplastic polymers, enhancing robotic AM capabilities.