Minimizing the Number of Transitions of 3D Printing Nozzles Using a Traveling-Salesman-Problem Optimization Model
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Hao Liu; Rui Liu; Zhoupeng Liu; Shuhao Xu
- Source
- International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, 22(9), pp.1617-1637 Sep, 2021
- Subject
- 기계공학
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2234-7593
In nozzle-based three-dimensional printing, transitions are movements of the printing nozzle from a path endpoint to a path start-point. These transitions diminish printing quality by causing strings. A method to minimize the number of transitions based on direction-parallel line segments is presented in this paper. The endpoints of line segments were considered to be “cities” in converting the problem of minimizing the number of transitions into a traveling salesman problem (TSP). A genetic algorithm solver was developed by designing an oriented mutation method for the TSP. Compared with other algorithms for solving the TSP, our algorithm generates paths with fewer transitions. The algorithm was tested using several fused-deposition-modeling and weld arc additive manufacture examples to confirm that the generated paths were reasonable.