Approach to an optimized printing path for additive manufacturing in construction utilizing FEM modeling

Abstract

Based on experiences with common additive manufacturing processes, the application in the construction industry opens up new design freedoms and cost-effective production of complex structures. However, the time-dependent yield strength of fresh concrete leads to deformations of underlying layers during the printing process, especially when using conventional path planning methods in combination with material extrusion or jetting methods. This paper presents a finite element model based approach to minimize the resulting deviations from the target geometry by iteratively adjusting the process parameters according to simulated deformations. To achieve more detailed modelling, the utilized finite element model is derived from the printing path instead of the CAD data.