Putting objects into a cylindrical/rectangular bounded volume

Abstract

In this paper, an algorithm is presented to check whether a given object fits inside a cylindrical bounded volume. The proposed algorithm uses an iterative approach to solve the problem. The proposed algorithm can be used in another well-known optimization problem, smallest enclosing cylinder of an object (or a 3D point set) in terms of diameter or height. A straightforward application is for checking whether a given object is producible (in terms of size) inside the manufacturing chamber of a rapid prototyping machine which has a cylindrical production chamber. If the object can be put into the bounded volume of the building envelope, it can be built from the RP machine. The algorithm can also be used to check whether an object can be made from standard sized stock materials. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.