This research is motivated by the fact that the 3D printing process can be daunting for novices. Creating high quality G-Code for prospective 3D parts requires knowledge of a multitude of potentially confusing settings, including printing materials, infill density, and printer resolution. Novices also need to know how to properly orient a 3D part before slicing and may end up printing their part in a way that makes it weaker than an alternative. Currently, many existing slicing tools overwhelm the user with customizable settings, making it difficult for many novice users to navigate those tools. Besides, the vast amount of information available in various online forums requires the user to spend a lot of time trying to process and utilize them effectively.To make the process simpler, we have developed a software application called GCode and Printing Automation (GaPA) that guides users through the 3D printing and slicing process, using a guided sequential process. The application accepts a user’s CAD model in the form of a STL file and then asks the user about the part’s purpose via a short set of multiple-choice questions. A heuristic ranking algorithm determines each of the part’s possible printing orientations, according to the user’s desired purpose for the part. The algorithm considers elements that affect print quality, such as overhang, and the properties of the accessible printers. An orientation’s ranking is evaluated based on research into best practices. This includes how effective certain orientations are at enhancing characteristics of a print, such as tensile strength, compressive strength, and dimensional tolerance, as well as the part’s purpose (e.g., a gear). The application displays the top four orientations, along with their associated print settings, showing the reasons behind the rankings as a list of pros and cons. The user can then generate the G-Code for their selection.The UI of the program is designed to be as intuitive as possible to help guide users unfamiliar with 3D printing through the process. The goal is to have this software serve as an introduction to effective slicing before those users transition to more complicated but widely used slicing tools such as Cura and MatterSlice. This goal is being tested by doing careful user studies with large groups of undergraduate students in Design and Manufacturing courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Preliminary results are incredibly positive. Heuristic evaluation by experts in 3D printing has also been done using a comprehensive, varied set of test cases. Once again, the results are very positive.

GaPA: An Application to Assist Novice Users With 3D Printing

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2021/volume/85543

ASME 2021 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE2021)

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