Voxel-based modeling for layered manufacturing

Layered manufacturing (LM) technologies have revolutionized the prototyping of complex geometric designs, but still employ traditional CAD tools. A voxel-based approach is under development in a modeling tool called G-WoRP (Geometric Workbench for Rapid Prototyping), which is tuned toward fabrication with LM equipment. The user interacts with the workbench through an input layer that provides two major primitives-the slice and the voxel-and the operations that support them. An import facility also permits designs from other CAD systems. Central to the internal layer is V-Rep, a new representation scheme that provides an efficient interface among the various G-WoRP modules. The output layer gives the part description in a form suitable to the actual LM technology employed. It also supports a process description for manufacturing the part using traditional processes. The design and manufacturing phases do not require an explicit process-planning step because the design description of the part closely resembles the input description needed by the LM equipment