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Plain and simple, a corrugated cardboard material provides the right level of protection for goods in transit, which helps keep shipping costs down. As made mostly from wood material, a fairly renewable resource, corrugated cardboards are easily processed and also recycled into paper products and even new boxes. Moreover, thanks to the material's durability, many corrugated packages can be reused multiple times before hitting the recycle bin, which promotes eco-friendly corrugated packaging needs for the environment with no glues or extra binding chemical included inside the packaging at all. The research in this paper proposes a tentative design testbed for a product model of setter tray, wholly made in corrugated paperboard and seated inside packaging with no additional filling material, which, after all, aids realization of a totally eco-friendly corrugated packaging design. A methodical approach, a systematic functional design framework with design thinking methodologies such as function decomposition (FD), quality function deployment (QFD), and morphological matrix, has been introduced to generate a promising concept continuously refined onto a product model. The validation of mechanical properties of the designed product for its functions as desired has been conducted by using not only a computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis of the computer-aided design (CAD) model, but also an engineering experiment of the product prototypes made of corrugated paperboard, followed by an in-depth discussion on design contributions and future works as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper "Ready-Made STL (RMS)" is defined as an STL model sophisticatedly planned and managed in advance in order to provide with all information needed for the build using an additive manufacturing process. Generating "RMS" from a raw STL model for build preparation typically undergoes three main processes for full optimization; diagnosis & repair of model geometry for geometric integrity and validity, modification of designed features for design compatibility, and specification of process parameters tight enough for process feasibility. In addition, as a subsidiary process for aid quality verification before the build, visualization of part build geometry simulated with surface roughness or build layers can also help full assurance of the build. This paper provides an executive review of previous approaches preparing "RMS" models and briefly addresses crucial issues resolved by corresponding approaches for build assurance in additive metal manufacturing as quick, efficient, and zero-fault printing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directed energy deposition (DED), equipped with 5-axis tool mechanism and no additional machining process, turned out to be able to deposit overhang/undercut features with no support directly on a part in multiple directions. When performing the deposition, two additional axes of rotating and tilting newly added to the working table where the part is typically fixed need to be precisely controlled using an advanced process management technique. The previous approach for slicing algorithm corresponding with multi-axis tool paths along the part and providing a simple stepwise two dimensional layering process of repetitive ±90 degree tilting of the base table can cause unavoidable process delay whenever the base table needs to be tilted for conforming the geometry of overhang/undercut features. Another clear and present barrier to the approach, in addition, is the physical interferences between the tool and the workpiece moving separately during the build. This study proposes a Spherically curved layer (SCL) model providing interference-free 5-axis tool-part movement, a continuous and synchronized interaction between the tool and the part each separately but precisely controlled while kept contacted together, for the build of overhangs. A methodological approach generating SCL information directly from an STL model, followed by the implementation onto various overhang problems as case studies using the proposed methodology, will be discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of 3D metal printing or Additive metal manufacturing (AMM) processes, officially categorized as 'directed energy deposition (DED)' according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) classification, has enabled the building of full dense metallic tools and parts using metal powders precisely delivered and controlled with no powder bed. Mold making and metalworking are being taken in an entirely new direction. The overhang/undercut problem in DED processes, as much as other Additive manufacturing (AM) processes, has long remained unsolved, and the ones equipped with more than 3-axis tool mechanism turn out to be capable of depositing overhang/undercut features onto the part to be made. Multi-axis machines introduced for resolving the problem, however, require advanced preprocess software support for the process management that controls multi-axis tool paths. This study proposes slicing algorithms, sophisticatedly designed for the control of the tool paths on a 5-axis base table, to build overhang/undercut features. A methodical approach, using an auto-partitioning algorithm for generating three-dimensional layer (3DL) information, is proposed in this study, and various overhang features, as case studies, have been investigated and implemented by using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The working principle of the laser-aided direct metal tooling(DMT) process is the use of a laser to selectively clad metallic powder on the substrate material part. A high-powered laser beam is focused on a metal substrate to create a molten weld pool; as the laser passes by the deposit is quickly cooled, leaving behind a thin line of metal clad. The major advantage of the DMT process is its capability of depositing a multitude of materials. Since the material deposition relies only on the feeding of a powder, it is relatively simple to use multiple kinds of materials. In fact, recent research has shown that DMT is capable of manufacturing binary functionally graded materials as well. The study is to develop a software support tool, visual simulation technique, as one of the e-manufacturing capability established for a unique DMT process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]