Part decomposition efficiency expectation evaluation in additive manufacturing process planning

Abstract

In this paper, research results are presented and discussed on the efficient use of additive manufacturing (AM) machine workspace with a specific focus on the features of part construction and decomposition, which provide savings of material and energy. Statistical analysis of the distribution of material by subspaces revealed some relationship between construction features and the effectiveness of part decomposition. The initial triangulated model was converted into a voxel model, and the latter is analyzed with the proposed algorithm. The workspace of an AM machine was divided into subspaces of the same volume with parallel steadily distributed planes perpendicular to the coordinate axes. Based on the models of typical industrial parts, it was proving that the algorithm was able to analyze the effectiveness of part decomposition. Moreover, some indexes were proposed to allow the quantitative analysis of part decomposition and packing (workspace planning task) effectiveness. The proposed index of the specific volume of utilised workspace enabled the minimising of the cost of given parts by using AM processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Additive manufacturing
• process planning
• voxel model
• part decomposition
• powder utilisation

Acknowledgment

The presented researches had no specific funds.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yaroslav Garashchenko

Yaroslav Garashchenko was a PhD student at National Technical University ‘Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute’ (Ukraine) from 1999 until 2003. In 2004, he obtained a PhD in mechanical engineering. In 2003–2008, he was a research assistant, and since 2008, a lecturer at the Department of Integrated Technologies of Mechanical Engineering (previously the Department of Cutting Materials and Tools). At present, he is working as an associate professor at the Department of Integrated Technologies of Mechanical Engineering named after M.F. Semko of Institute of Education and Science in Mechanical Engineering and Transport in National Technical University ‘Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute’ (Ukraine).

Miroslaw Rucki

Miroslaw Rucki received Polish Government Scholarship for PhD Studies, Poznan University of Technology (Poland), from 1994 to 1996. He obtained a PhD in metrology and measurement systems in 1997. He was an assistant professor at Poznan University of Technology, Institute of the Mechanical Engineering, Division of the Metrology and Measurement Systems, from 1997 to 2010. At present, he is working as a professor at Kazimierz Pulaski University of Technology and Humanities in Radom, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (Poland).