Generation of an STL File from 3D Measurement Data with User-Controlled Data Reduction

Abstract

Reverse engineering is a methodology for constructing computer-aided design (CAD) models of physical parts by digitising an existing part, creating a computer model and then using it to manufacture the component. When a digitised part is to be manufactured by means of rapid prototyping machines such as stereolithography apparatus (SLA) and selective laser sintering equipment (SLS), etc., it is not necessary to construct the CAD model of a digitised part. This can be achieved by the proposed novel method which can construct an STL file (the de facto file format for rapid prototyping machines) directly from digitised part data. Furthermore, the STL file can be constructed with a significant data reduction at the users' discretion.