Automatic redesign of assemblies for layered manufacturing

Abstract

In this paper, the characteristics and advantages of layered manufacturing are discussed. Based on the computer aided design (CAD) model of an existing assembly, a scheme of automatic redesign of the component parts of the assembly for layered manufacturing is proposed. By determining the physical assembly constraint graph and the physically fully constrained part groups of the assembly, pertinent component parts of the assembly are merged automatically into a single part. The redesigned part assembly contains a fewer number of component parts and a simpler assembly structure and could be fabricated as a whole in one step in a layered manufacturing machine. The redesign of a simple slider-crank mechanism assembly has been carried out to illustrate the proposed scheme, and further redesign issues are also discussed.