Abstract
The three-dimensional printing of complex shapes without using supporting structures is the most attractive factor of merit in current additive manufacturing because it allows to drastically reduce printing time, and ideally nullify postprocessing and waste material. In this work, we present an innovative procedure and algorithm (Print on Air, PoA) for additive manufacturing that, relying on sensing systems embedded into the three-dimensional (3D) printer (e.g., temperature and speed sensors), aims at generating a printing sequence capable of a self-sustaining bridge and overhang structures. This feature was achieved by splitting the actual floating area of the layer where the aforementioned structures are in many subsections. Each is generated with a negligible floating surface and printed in a well-determined sequence with accurate temperature and speed profiles. Therefore, each subsection is formed without the need for scaffolding, simultaneously acting as a supporting structure for the following subsection. The array of subsections constitutes the actual bridge or overhang structure. The proposed method can be used for any object, including very long bridges or convex surfaces. The revolutionary method is here reported and evaluated in order to show its applicability in any condition. Although the study was conducted in a Fused Deposition Material (FDM) environment, it can certainly be adapted to other manufacturing environments with adequate modifications.
Highlights
Additive manufacturing is becoming the primary solution for prototyping and realizing three-dimensional (3D) objects
The first and most straightforward is “design for printability” [15,16,17]. This technique has to be employed from the no support hasstage to beand generated, saving material, it requires a postprocessing step for object-design consists resulting of using ainnumber of designbut criteria with the aim of simultaneously part assembling, sticking, and polishing, which is a time-consuming operation that could affect thea generating a functional and supportless 3D printable object
Taking into consideration the bridge structure, even unsupported standard slicing procedures are capable of effectively handling this situation, given that the filament strand was fixed at both ends before the extruder changed direction
Summary
Additive manufacturing is becoming the primary solution for prototyping and realizing three-dimensional (3D) objects. The first and most straightforward is “design for printability” [15,16,17] This technique has to be employed from the no support hasstage to beand generated, saving material, it requires a postprocessing step for object-design consists resulting of using ainnumber of designbut criteria with the aim of simultaneously part assembling, sticking, and polishing, which is a time-consuming operation that could affect thea generating a functional and supportless 3D printable object (for instance Figure 4a,b). This can be quality of theprocess printedand object. The former category allows a(a)single extruder setup to generate supporting structures
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