A new slicing procedure for rapid prototyping systems

The current slicing rule of most rapid prototyping (RP) systems cannot ensure unilateral tolerances on the whole prototype and often results in problems of overcut and undercut on the same part. This drawback leads to unsatisfactory precision of the part in post processing. In order to reduce the above problems, a new slicing method is proposed in this paper. Based on the geometry information in a stereolithography (STL) file, an algorithm is developed. The appropriate slicing rule is selected according to the inner product of the normal vector and working direction of the part, together with the function of the part to be manufactured. The STL file is cut into 2D sections and an accurate contour is calculated. After the slicing computation, an appropriate working path is produced. The rules proposed in this paper have been verified. This work contributes to the improvement of slicing rules in existing RP systems, especially in systems using uniform thickness slicing. It also improves manufacturing efficiency and working tolerances.