Improving Geometric Accuracy of 3D Printed Parts Using 3D Metrology Feedback and Mesh Morphing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has gained significant interest due to the freedom it offers in creating complex-shaped and highly customized parts with little lead time. However, a current challenge of AM is the lack of geometric accuracy of fabricated parts. To improve the geometric accuracy of 3D printed parts, this paper presents a three-dimensional geometric compensation method that allows for eliminating systematic deviations by morphing the original surface mesh model of the part by the inverse of the systematic deviations. These systematic deviations are measured by 3D scanning multiple sacrificial printed parts and computing an average deviation vector field throughout the model. We demonstrate the necessity to filter out the random deviations from the measurement data used for compensation. Case studies demonstrate that printing the compensated mesh model based on the average deviation of five sacrificial parts produces a part with deviations about three times smaller than measured on the uncompensated parts. The deviation values of this compensated part based on the average deviation vector field are less than half of the deviation values of the compensated part based on only one sacrificial part.