Conformal 3D Printing Algorithm for Surfaces and Its In Situ Repair Applications

Abstract

Conformal 3D printing can construct specific three-dimensional structures on the free-form surfaces of target objects, achieving in situ additive manufacturing and repair, making it one of the cutting-edge technologies in the current field of 3D printing. To further improve the repair efficacy in tissue engineering, this study proposes a conformal path planning algorithm for in situ printing in specific areas of the target object. By designing the conformal 3D printing algorithm and utilizing vector projection and other methods, coordinate transformation of the printing trajectory was achieved. The algorithm was validated, showing good adherence of the printing material to the target surface. In situ repair experiments were also conducted on human hands and pig tibia defect models, verifying the feasibility of this method and laying a foundation for further research in personalized medicine and tissue repair.