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Tool-path generation is a key issue in sheet metal incremental forming process, and existing approaches either are prone to computationally expensive or cannot be applied to stereolithography (STL) model including defects. Thus, a new tool-path generation method is presented by adopting the thought of generating cutter-location (CL) data directly from corresponding cutter-contact (CC) data. By analyzing the interference characteristics between fillet-end tool and model surface and considering tangential case and intersection case comprehensively, a discrete computational model is proposed to calculate single-layer interference-free CL contour, instead of computing a precise CL point by checking potential interferences from candidate facet, vertices, and edges, respectively. So this method is more efficient and easier for program implementation. Additionally, a fast recursive search algorithm is developed to identify and extract flat area features, and an efficient 2D invalid loops removal algorithm based on decomposition thought is presented to obtain valid CC contours and CL contours with a near linear time-complexity. Implementation tests prove that the new method is effective and robust for STL model with defects, and tool-path achieved is highly precise. It is also applicable to various tool shapes and suitable for planning various types of tool-paths to meet different SMIF process requirements.

The hollowing process plays an important role in some rapid prototyping technologies such as stereo lithography apparatus (SLA), fused deposition modelling (FDM) and select laser sintering (SLS). This paper introduces an efficient two-dimensional hollowing algorithm. The principles of algorithm and implementation are presented. In addition, a detailed analysis is used to study the effect of the scanning path and online character in the actual fabricating process.

The STL file, which is de facto standard for the rapid prototyping industries, has too large a file size. This paper proposes an improved interface between CAD and rapid prototyping systems, i.e. a CS (compressed STL) file that has very low data storage redundancies and is completely compatible with the STL file. The CS file is about a quarter of the size of the original binary STL file, without any model information loss. This is very suitable for file transferring via the Internet. Removing coordinate data of duplicate vertices, bit-compression technology, and a comparison of the size and compressed performance of the STL and the CS are also discussed.

Although the STL (stereo lithography) file format is the de facto standard for the rapid prototyping industries, there are always some defects in STL files, many of which are difficult to correct. Instead of correcting the defects of bad STL files by a manual, interactive and complex approach with an STL file correction program, an error-tolerance slicing algorithm for STL files is proposed in this paper. With the detailed analysis of complex defects such as cracks and non-manifold facets, a complete topological structure for the facets model with defects is built and the layer is sliced effectively. The badly sliced contour is processed by crack-tracking and non-manifold facet travelling methods to obtain a correct contour in a relatively easy 2D way.