5-Axis Slicing Methods for Additive Manufacturing Process

In metallic Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes such as Hybrid Layered Manufacturing (HLM), it is difficult to remove the support material used for realizing the overhanging/undercut features. Multi-axis kinematics can be used to eliminate the requirement of the support mechanism. In this work, two slicing methods have been proposed which utilize the benefits of multi-axis kinematics to eliminate the support mechanism. In the first method, planar slicing is used and the overhanging/undercut features are realized while keeping the growth of the component in the conventional Z-direction. In the second method, non-planar slicing is used, and the growth of the component need not necessarily be in the Z-direction; it can also be conformal to the selected feature of the component. Both these methods are explained through a case study of manufacturing an impeller by the HLM process.