Part decomposing algorithm based on STL solid model used in shape deposition manufacturing process

Abstract

Shape deposition manufacturing is an innovative rapid prototyping technology combining CNC machining and deposition processes and in which if a surface of the part is visible from the build direction it can be directly shaped into desired geometry on part material; if the part features are undercut or face away from the build direction, these part features will be sculptured into the support material in order to form a negative cavity at first, then the part material is deposited into this negative cavity in order to replicate these features into part material. This process is cyclically repeated until all segments have been built. Finally, the sacrificial material is removed, and the finished part is left. This innovative technology has the benefits of commercial rapid prototyping technology; meanwhile, it inherits the accuracy and high surface quality of traditional machining process. For this process to be realized, it is essential to decompose the CAD solid model into a series of manufacturable segments which have no undercut surfaces at the data pretreatment step. In this paper, a solid decomposing strategy is proposed with a detailed discussion on the classification of the segments based on the value of triangle face normal vector, and then an algorithm for auto-decomposing a CAD solid model in STL data format is developed.