An Approach for Volume Decomposition in Robot-Based Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Introduction: Additive Manufacturing (AM) are implemented with robotic manipulators [12] to increase process flexibility in the last decades. Also, researchers have used work tables with certain degrees of freedom [6] for the same aim. Direct Energy Deposition (DED) [9] is one of the solutions for Robot-Based AM (RBAM). The material is deposited from a nozzle onto support [1]. The raw material can be in wire or powder form. Recently, Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), a form of wire-based DED process, is also gaining interest from both academic as well as industrial point of view. WAAM is an automized welding process where parts are manufactured thanks to a welding gun moved by a manipulator according to 3D paths [14]. The main advantages of WAAM are flexibility, low capital investment, and low material cost [15]. Similarly, extruders for polymeric materials are used in RBAM. Furthermore, RBAM can be integrated with traditional milling solutions to improve the quality of the finished product [11].