Laser path planning of burn-out rule for LOM process

The waste material removal process in the laminated object manufacturing, so-called de-cubing, is a time-consuming work resulting from the inherent adhesion between the part and the waste material. A new method to improve the problem is proposed in this paper. It is noticed that when the temperature of the working area, being raised by the laser beams, reaches the "decomposition temperature" of the adhesive, the stickiness of the adhesive will "burn out". Based on these findings, a novel laser path planning strategy is introduced. The threshold value of the slope of the part which determines whether the burning-out rule should be applied in laser path planning is derived. If the slope of the part falls below the threshold value, the burning-out rule is utilized. Under such circumstances, an optimal laser path according to the proposed thermomechanical model is designated to the overlap zone to burn out the binder. Experimental results indicate that the method increases the de-cubing efficiency, reduces the de-cubing time required and damage the part less likely.