An Interpolative Slicing Algorithm for Continuously Graded Stiffness in Viscous Thread Printed Foams
Foams, essential for applications from car seats to thermal insulation, are limited by traditional manufacturing techniques that struggle to produce graded stiffness, a key feature for enhanced functionality. Here, we introduce a novel slicing algorithm for producing heterogeneous foams through viscous thread printing (VTP). Our slicer generates a single, global toolpath for the entire foam volume while modulating the viscous thread’s self-interactions along this path to program stiffness. The slicer integrates multiple meshes into a unified print space and interpolates the print speed and height based on specified mesh parameters to program the desired stiffness variations. Using both qualitative samples and quantitative compression tests, we demonstrate that our slicer can (1) generate foam stiffnesses spanning an order of magnitude, (2) achieve millimeter precision in stiffness control, and (3) continuously vary stiffness between regions of constant stiffness using arbitrary functional forms.
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