Output Maneuvering for Cartesian 3D Printer

Abstract

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a production technique that can create highly customized parts and is therefore ideal for product prototyping and customized orders. An important aspect of 3D printer systems is the ability to accurately and precisely move the extruder along a planned path, ensuring the production of parts with low dimensional error. In this paper, output maneuvering is considered for the purpose of steering the extruder of a Cartesian 3D printer along a desired path. As slicing software provides waypoints with minimal change in angle between the line segments, a novel speed profile adjustment is introduced which prioritizes maintaining the current along-path speed when the angle between line segments is sufficiently low. Through a design example, a nonlinear maneuvering controller consisting of a geometric and a dynamic task is deduced. Positive and negative aspects of applying output maneuvering to additive manufacturing are discussed.