Image Based Slicing and Tool Path Planning for Hybrid Stereolithography Additive Manufacturing

Author(s):  
Hang Ye ◽  
Chi Zhou ◽  
Wenyao Xu

Hybrid stereolithograpgy (SLA) process synthesizes the laser scanning based SLA system and mask projection based SLA system. It adopts laser as the energy source for scanning the border of a 2D pattern, whereas a mask image is used to solidify the interior area. By integrating the merits of the two subsystems, the hybrid SLA process can achieve relatively high surface quality without sacrificing the productivity. For the hybrid system, closed polygon contours are required to direct laser scanning, and a binary image is also needed for mask projection. We proposed a novel image based slicing method. This method can convert the 3D model into a series of binary images directly, and each image is corresponding to the cross-session of the model at a specific height. Based on the resultant binary image, we use image processing method to gradually shrink the image. The contours of shrunk image are traced and then restored as polygons to direct the laser spot movement. The final shrunk image will serve as the input for mask projection. The experimental result of several test cases demonstrate that proposed method is substantially more time-efficient than traditional approaches.

Author(s):  
Hang Ye ◽  
Chi Zhou ◽  
Wenyao Xu

The hybrid stereolithography (SLA) process integrates a laser scanning-based system and a mask projection-based system. Multiple laser paths are used to scan the border of a 2D pattern, whereas a mask image is adopted to solidify the interior area. By integrating merits of two subsystems, the hybrid SLA process can achieve high surface quality without sacrificing productivity. For the hybrid system, closed polygonal contours are required to direct the laser scanning, and a binary image is also needed for the mask projection. We proposed a novel image-based slicing method. This approach can convert a 3D model into a series of binary images directly, and each image is corresponding to the cross section of the model at a specific height. Based on the resultant binary image, we use an image processing method to gradually shrink the pattern in the image. Boundaries of the shrunk image are traced and then restored as polygons to direct the laser spot movement. The final shrunk image serves as the input for the mask projection. Experimental results of test cases demonstrate that the proposed method is substantially more efficient than the traditional approaches. Its accuracy is also studied and discussed.


Author(s):  
Chi Zhou

This paper presents a novel tool path planning approach for polygonal mirror scanning based stereolithography (STL) process. Compared with traditional laser scanning and mask projection based STL process, the polygonal mirror scanning based process can build part with high surface quality and precision without losing the fabrication efficiency. As an emerging additive manufacturing (AM) process, no efficient tool path planning algorithm is available in current system. This paper presents a direct tool path planning algorithm without converting the three-dimensional model into two-dimensional contours. Different test cases are used to verify its efficiency and effectiveness. Compared with the commercial software, the proposed algorithm is several times faster. Physical parts are also built using the tool path generated by the proposed algorithm.


Author(s):  
Chi Zhou

This paper presents a novel tool path planning approach for polygonal mirror scanning based Stereolithography (SL) process. Compared with traditional laser scanning and mask projection based SL process, the polygonal mirror scanning based process can build part with high surface quality and precision without losing the fabrication efficiency. As an emerging additive manufacturing process, no efficient tool path planning algorithm is available in current system. This paper presented a direct tool path planning algorithm without converting the 3-Dimentional model into 2-Dimentional contours. Different test cases are used to verify its efficiency and effectiveness. Compared with the commercial software, the proposed algorithm is several times faster. Physical parts are also built using the tool path generated by the proposed algorithm.


2006 ◽  
Vol 532-533 ◽  
pp. 225-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liang Zeng ◽  
Zhen Long Wang ◽  
Qiang Gao ◽  
Wen Zhuo Li ◽  
Wan Sheng Zhao

This paper presents new machining technology of micro-EDM with lower working voltage in RC pulse power source. How to control the discharging energy of one pulse supplied by RC power is crucial to the technology of micro-EDM. The process of discharging has been studied, then the feasibility of machining with lower working voltage has been put forward, in order to reduce the discharge energy of one pulse effectively. On the basis of a great deal of experiments, the effect of working voltage on surface quality is studied, also the effect of working voltage on machining efficiency has been found out and been analyzed theoretically. The result shows that lower working voltage can reduce the working energy observably, and then improve the machining surface quality attended by reducing of machining efficiency. However, there is a good machining effect when the working voltage is about 15~20V. Considering working efficiency, a new technology of block electro-discharge grinding (BEDG) with lower working voltage has been applied. As shown by the experimental result with the technology, the minimum diameter of micro-shaft reaches 32m. Moreover, the micro-shaft has very high surface quality of Ra 0.1252m and its coaxial diameter error is controlled within 0.152m.


Author(s):  
Swathi Routhu ◽  
Divya Kanakanala ◽  
Jianzhong Ruan ◽  
Xiaoqing Frank Liu ◽  
Frank Liou

The zigzag and offset path have been the two most popular path patterns for tool movement in machining process. Different from the traditional machining processes, the quality of parts produced by the metal deposition process is much more dependent upon the choice of deposition paths. Due to the nature of the metal deposition processes, various tool path patterns not only change the efficiency but also affect the deposition height, a critical quality for metal deposition process. This paper presents the research conducted on calculating zigzag pattern to improve efficiency by minimizing the idle path. The deposition height is highly dependent on the laser scanning speed. The paper also discussed the deposition offset pattern calculation to reduce the height variation by adjusting the tool-path to achieve a constant scanning speed. The results show the improvement on both efficiency and height.


2014 ◽  
Vol 789 ◽  
pp. 560-565
Author(s):  
Shuai Hou ◽  
Yu Jia Liu ◽  
Fuan Hua ◽  
Xin Yue Wang ◽  
Zhao Dong Wang ◽  
...  

The accuracy prediction of the strip's upper pressure and lower pressure is very important to the accuracy control of air flotation oven, therefore the aluminum can get high surface quality and improving the product quality. And the pressure prediction is very important factor in air flotation oven. In this paper, pso-lssvm pressure prediction model was established. The experiment was carried out in an experimental air flotation oven and pressure data was collected, then the pso-lssvm model was trained based on the training data. The pso-lssvm pressure model' result was compared with the experimental value. The experimental result shows that the pso-lssvm model can get higher accuracy and is suited to predict pressure distribution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben-Fong Yu ◽  
Jenq-Shyong Chen

This paper proposes the development of a tuning methodology which can set the proper values of the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) parameters to achieve the required machining performance. For the conventional operators of machine tools, the CNC parameters were hard to be adjusted to optimal settings, which was a complicated and time-consuming task. To save time in finding optimal CNC parameters, the objective of this research was to develop a practical methodology to tune the CNC parameters effectively for easy implementation in the commercial CNC controller. Firstly, the effect of the CNC parameters in the CNC controller on the tool-path planning was analyzed via experiments. The machining performance was defined in the high-speed (HS) mode, the high-accuracy (HP) mode, and the high-surface-quality (HQ) mode, according to the dynamic errors of several specified paths. Due to the CNC parameters that have a particularly critical effect on the dynamic errors, the relationship between the CNC parameters and the dynamic errors was validated by the measured data. Finally, the tuning procedure defined the anticipated dynamic errors for the three machining modes with the actual machine. The CNC parameters will correspond with anticipated dynamics errors based on several specified paths. The experimental results showed that the HS mode was the fastest to complete the path, and the completion time of the HP and HQ modes were increased by 37% and 6%, respectively. The HP mode had the smallest dynamic errors than other modes, and the dynamic errors of the HS and HQ modes are increased by 66% and 16%. In the HQ mode, the motion oscillation was reduce significantly, and the tracking error of the HS and HP modes were increased by 85% and 28%. The advantage of the methodology is that it simplifies set-up steps of the CNC parameters, making it suitable for practical machine applications.


Author(s):  
Lukas Seeholzer ◽  
Stefan Süssmaier ◽  
Fabian Kneubühler ◽  
Konrad Wegener

AbstractEspecially for slicing hard and brittle materials, wire sawing with electroplated diamond wires is widely used since it combines a high surface quality with a minimum kerf loss. Furthermore, it allows a high productivity by machining multiple workpieces simultaneously. During the machining operation, the wire/workpiece interaction and thus the material removal conditions with the resulting workpiece quality are determined by the material properties and the process and tool parameters. However, applied to machining of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP), the process complexity potentially increases due to the anisotropic material properties, the elastic spring back potential of the material, and the distinct mechanical wear due to the highly abrasive carbon fibres. Therefore, this experimental study analyses different combinations of influencing factors with respect to process forces, workpiece surface temperatures at the wire entrance, and the surface quality in wire sawing unidirectional CFRP material. As main influencing factors, the cutting and feed speeds, the density of diamond grains on the wire, the workpiece thickness, and the fibre orientation of the CFRP material are analysed and discussed. For the tested parameter settings, it is found that while the influence of the grain density is negligible, workpiece thickness, cutting and feed speeds affect the process substantially. In addition, higher process forces and workpiece surface temperatures do not necessarily deteriorate the surface quality.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Shravan Kousik ◽  
Diane Sipp ◽  
Karina Abitaev ◽  
Yawen Li ◽  
Thomas Sottmann ◽  
...  

Oxide inverse opals (IOs) with their high surface area and open porosity are promising candidates for catalyst support applications. Supports with confined mesoporous domains are of added value to heterogeneous catalysis. However, the fabrication of IOs with mesoporous or sub-macroporous voids (<100 nm) continues to be a challenge, and the diffusion of tracers in quasi-mesoporous IOs is yet to be adequately studied. In order to address these two problems, we synthesized ZnO IOs films with tunable pore sizes using chemical bath deposition and template-based approach. By decreasing the size of polystyrene (PS) template particles towards the mesoporous range, ZnO IOs with 50 nm-sized pores and open porosity were synthesized. The effect of the template-removal method on the pore geometry (spherical vs. gyroidal) was studied. The infiltration depth in the template was determined, and the factors influencing infiltration were assessed. The crystallinity and photonic stop-band of the IOs were studied using X-Ray diffraction and UV-Vis, respectively. The infiltration of tracer molecules (Alexa Fluor 488) in multilayered quasi-mesoporous ZnO IOs was confirmed via confocal laser scanning microscopy, while fluorescence correlation spectroscopy analysis revealed two distinct diffusion times in IOs assigned to diffusion through the pores (fast) and adsorption on the pore walls (slow).


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