Direct slicing of microcellular structures for digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing

Purpose: Additive Manufacturing (AM) conventionally necessitates an intermediary slicing procedure using the standard tessellation language (STL) data, which can be computationally burdensome, especially for intricate microcellular architectures. This study aims to propose a direct slicing method tailored for digital light processing-type AM processes for the efficient generation of slicing data for microcellular structures. Design/methodology/approach: The authors proposed a direct slicing method designed for microcellular structures, encompassing micro-lattice and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures. The sliced data of these structures were represented mathematically and then convert into 2D monochromatic images, bypassing the time-consuming slicing procedures required by 3D STL data. The efficiency of the proposed method was validated through data preparations for lattice-based nasopharyngeal swabs and TPMS-based ellipsoid components. Furthermore, its adaptability was highlighted by incorporating 2D images of additional features, eliminating the requirement for complex 3D Boolean operations. Findings: The direct slicing method offered significant benefits upon implementation for microcellular structures. For lattice-based nasopharyngeal swabs, it reduced data size by a factor of 1/300 and data preparation time by a factor of 1/8. Similarly, for TPMS-based ellipsoid components, it reduced data size by a factor of 1/60 and preparation time by a factor of 1/16. Originality/value: The direct slicing method allows for bypasses the computational burdens associated with traditional indirect slicing from 3D STL data, by directly translating complex cellular structures into 2D sliced images. This method not only reduces data volume and processing time significantly but also demonstrates the versatility of sliced data preparation by integrating supplementary features using 2D operations.