Optimizing the nozzle path in the 3D Printing Process

TL;DR

This paper introduces an optimization approach for the nozzle path in 3D printing to significantly reduce printing time, using integer linear programming and heuristics, validated on real-world instances.

Contribution

It formalizes the 3D printing routing problem, proposes heuristic solutions, and demonstrates substantial time savings over existing open-source methods.

Findings

Large time reductions achieved in printing

Heuristic algorithms outperform standard software

Validated on real-life large instances

Abstract

In this paper, we define the 3D printing routing problem, the problem of finding the optimal path of the nozzle in a fused deposition modeling 3D printing system, so as to minimize the time required to create on object. We formally model the problem with an integer linear programming formulation and then solve it via heuristic algorithms. We test the algorithms on a set of large-size real-life instances, comparing them with one of the most widely used open source software for the problem. We show that large time reductions can be obtained. We finally propose a set of interesting directions for future research.