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Identifying the directions of a set of 2D contours for additive manufacturing process planning

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Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a process in which material is added layer by layer to build a physical part. In AM process planning, a stack of 2D closed contours is obtained when a 3D stereolithography (STL) model is sliced. Each slice may have a set of closed contours or polygons, each of which needs to be classified (oriented) as internal (clockwise) or external (counterclockwise) to identify where material should be added. This is not a straightforward task as the STL format does not ensure correct surface orientation of the 3D model. This work describes two methods for identifying the direction of each contour in a set, i.e., for sorting them into internal and external contours. Three alternative tests to check whether a point is inside or outside a polygon were evaluated. The tests are based on the ray-tracing principle and the classical point-in-polygon test. The proposed algorithms were devised and implemented in an AM process planning system. The methods were validated using 3D models with a variety of geometries, and the computing time for the alternative tests was compared. The results showed that the method based on the point-in-polygon tests has some advantages.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department (DAMEC), Prototyping and Tooling Group (NUFER), Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Av. 7 de Setembro, 3165, Curitiba, PR CEP 80230-901, Brazil

    Neri Volpato, Alexandre Franzoni & Diogo Carbonera Luvizon

  2. Applied and Computational Mathematics, Beuth University of Applied Sciences (BHT), Luxemburger Str. 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Julian Martin Schramm

Authors
  1. Neri Volpato
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  2. Alexandre Franzoni
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  3. Diogo Carbonera Luvizon
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  4. Julian Martin Schramm
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Correspondence to Neri Volpato.

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Volpato, N., Franzoni, A., Luvizon, D.C. et al. Identifying the directions of a set of 2D contours for additive manufacturing process planning. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 68, 33–43 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-012-4706-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-012-4706-y

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