Optimal slope cutting algorithm for EPS free-form formwork manufacturing

The construction of free-form buildings has recently emerged as a trend in the construction industry. The sloped-laminated object manufacturing (S-LOM) method can manufacture free-form formwork rapidly and cost-effectively. However, the S-LOM method has low precision due to the cutting error. This study proposes the slope-optimized laser cutting (SOLC), which can reduce the cutting error by optimizing the cutting conditions depending on cutting angle change. A case study was conducted to verify the precision improvement of the SOLC, and the results showed that the SOLC reduced the maximum error by 35.79%, average error by 35.42%, and standard deviation by 33.21%, compared to the existing cutting method. However, the SOLC is less efficient in reducing errors when the cutting angle is large, and it cannot be applied to various material conditions. In future studies, more detailed experiments on various material conditions and cutting angles should be conducted to improve the SOLC's precision.