Support structure generation for 3D printing using a robotic manipulator equiped with a polymer extruder

• Grant number: 24/13845-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Manufacturing Processes
• Principal Investigator: Sidney Bruce Shiki
• Grantee: Líbny Ramos Martins
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has enabled great freedom in the manufacture of complex geometries and the use of multiple materials. The general objective of this research project is to analyze the generation of support structures for 3D printing using a robotic manipulator equipped with a polymer extruder fed with granular material (pellets). This system was developed in a regular FAPESP project (grant 19/22115-0) with the aim of enabling the manufacture of large parts, taking advantage of the robot's large working radius, as well as its 6 axes of movement. In this project, different conditions for the generation of support structures will be tested, aiming at the printing of angled or suspended faces, something essential for the generation of more complex structures in the developed robotic cell. This study aims to contribute to the advancement of the field of additive manufacturing, allowing the production of complex parts that would be difficult or impossible to execute using conventional methods.