Product Code: ICAL05_604

Tool Path Generation for Laser Cladding Using Adaptive Slicing Strategies
Authors:
Michael Kerschbaumer, Joanneum Research Laser Center Leoben; Graz Steiermark Austria
Georg Ernst, Joanneum Research Laser Center Leoben; Graz Steiermark Austria
Paul O'Leary, Institute for Automation University of Leoben; Leoben Austria
Presented at ICALEO 2005

Direct laser deposition is an advanced manufacturing technique. Combined with CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) it can be used to perform rapid tooling and prototyping applications in an industrial environment. Most existing laser cladding processes are adapted into slicing technology, in which a CAD model is represented by a stack of flat and thin layers. Under this strategy, a CAD model is sliced horizontally into a set of planar layers with constant thickness. To realize complex parts with overhangs simple slicing of the part will not suffice. This paper presents a procedure and an algorithm that allows the slice thickness to be adapted as a function of the slope and the curvature of the CAD model geometry.
Additionally an adaptive slicing procedure, based on curved layers is presented in this paper. For laser cladding on curved substrates it is essential to adapt the slicing plane to the shape of the desired surface. The tool paths are generated by determining the intersection curves between part surface and the curved slicing plane. This can be done by computing the intersection curve between a general parametric surface and a tessellated CAD model. Several sample parts are shown for algorithm verification.