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A slicer is toolpath generation software used in the majority of
*Infill: solid objects need a large amount of valuable material (filament, ...) and print time. The slicer can automatically convert solid volumes to hollow ones, saving costs and time. The hollow object can be partially filled by internal structures, as internal walls, to provide additional robustness. The amount of these structures is called infill density, this parameter being one of the adjustments to be provided to the slicer.
*Supports: most of the 3D printing processes create the object layer by layer, down to up, with the layer under construction being deposited over the previous one. As a consequence, all object parts must overlie, at least in some part, over another one. In the case of an object layer that is floating (by example, the flat roof of a house or an horizontally extended arm in a figure), the slicer automatically can add supports for it. The support touches the object in a way that is easily detachable from it at the finish stage of the object production.
* Rafts, skirts and brims: printing of the first object layer, the one in contact with the printer bed, has some peculiarities, like problems of object adherence to the bed, rugosity, smooth deposition of the first amounts of filament, .... The slicer can automatically add some detachable structures to minimize these problems. Usual types of these base structures are a skirt (a single band around the base of the object without touching it), a brim (several lines of filament around the base of the object, touching it but not under it, and radiating outwards) and rafts (several layers of material that form a detachable base, with the object printed over it).
3D printing processes
A variety of processes, equipment, and materials are used in the production of a three-dimensional object via additive manufacturing. 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing, therefore the numerous available 3D printing process tend ...
for the conversion of a 3D object model to specific instructions for the printer. In particular, the conversion from a model in STL STL may refer to:
Communications
* Standard telegraph level
*Studio/transmitter link
International law
*Special Tribunal for Lebanon
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), also referred to as the Lebanon Tribunal or the Hariri Tribunal, is a ...
format to printer commands in g-code
G-code (also RS-274) is the most widely used computer numerical control (CNC) programming language. It is used mainly in computer-aided manufacturing to control automated machine tools, and has many variants.
G-code instructions are provided t ...
format in fused filament fabrication
Fused filament fabrication (FFF), also known as fused deposition modeling (with the trademarked acronym FDM), or called ''filament freeform fabrication'', is a 3D printing process that uses a continuous filament of a thermoplastic material. Filam ...
and other similar processes.
The slicer first divides the object as a stack of flat layers, followed by describing these layers as linear movements of the 3D printer extruder, fixation laser or equivalent. All these movements, together with some specific printer commands like the ones to control the extruder temperature or bed temperature, are finally written in the g-code file, that can afterwards be transferred to the printer.
Additional features of the slicer
Nearly all slicers have some additional features, like:
*Infill: solid objects need a large amount of valuable material (filament, ...) and print time. The slicer can automatically convert solid volumes to hollow ones, saving costs and time. The hollow object can be partially filled by internal structures, as internal walls, to provide additional robustness. The amount of these structures is called infill density, this parameter being one of the adjustments to be provided to the slicer.
*Supports: most of the 3D printing processes create the object layer by layer, down to up, with the layer under construction being deposited over the previous one. As a consequence, all object parts must overlie, at least in some part, over another one. In the case of an object layer that is floating (by example, the flat roof of a house or an horizontally extended arm in a figure), the slicer automatically can add supports for it. The support touches the object in a way that is easily detachable from it at the finish stage of the object production.
* Rafts, skirts and brims: printing of the first object layer, the one in contact with the printer bed, has some peculiarities, like problems of object adherence to the bed, rugosity, smooth deposition of the first amounts of filament, .... The slicer can automatically add some detachable structures to minimize these problems. Usual types of these base structures are a skirt (a single band around the base of the object without touching it), a brim (several lines of filament around the base of the object, touching it but not under it, and radiating outwards) and rafts (several layers of material that form a detachable base, with the object printed over it).
List of slicer software
There's a wide collection of slicer applications, some of themfree and open-source
Free and open-source software (FOSS) is a term used to refer to groups of software consisting of both free software and open-source software where anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source ...
. Some of the most used ones are:
References
{{reflist 3D printing Computer printers DIY culture Industrial design Industrial processes Emerging technologies