Model decomposition method for minimizing the consumption of support structure for FFF

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) often requires additional support structures for manufacturing parts with overhanging areas, leading to substantial material and time wastage. Although several model decomposition techniques have been developed to tackle this issue, most focus solely on the constraint of overhang surface area. As a result, these techniques often struggle with parts that have intricate overhang characteristics, causing reduced printing surface accuracy and quality. This study introduces a precise method for detecting overhang regions and support-relevant overhang regions to improve the accuracy of overhang region identification and printing precision. Additionally, a model decomposition strategy leveraging genetic algorithm optimization is proposed to minimize the need for support structures, aiming for nearly support-free printing. Moreover, for intricate structures with a high topology where support structures are unavoidable, a novel projection support based on the distribution of periodic points in triangular form is developed to address this printing challenge. Experimental results demonstrate that the implementation of the algorithm outlined in this work on an FFF printer has achieved nearly support-free printing. Moreover, the proposed method for generating support structures has the potential to reduce material usage by 27 %.