Tool for optimal part consolidation selection for additive manufacturing

A system comprising:

• a memory storing processor-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor to execute the processor-executable instructions to cause the system to:
• receive an indication of an assembly to produce by a first additive manufacturing (AM) machine, the assembly including a plurality of components represented by respective component files;
• generate a first list and a second list based on the component files and the indication of the first AM machine, the first list to include pairs of components of the plurality of components that are in contact, the second list to include volumes of individual components of the plurality of components, the first list and second list to be inputs to a forward search process and a reverse search process;
• perform the forward search process to reduce an amount of feasible combinations of the plurality of components to evaluate for consolidation using a plurality of constraints including i) the respective volumes of the individual components, ii) connectivity between respective individual components, and iii) the first AM machine, the forward search process including:
• selecting a first component of the plurality of components based on calculated objective values associated with producing the individual components of the plurality of components by the first AM machine;
• and
• iteratively adding another component of the plurality of components thereto to generate first combinations until an entirety of the assembly is accounted for, the adding based on calculated objective values associated with producing the first combinations by the first AM machine;
• perform the reverse search process to evaluate second combinations of the plurality of components, the reverse search process including:
• identifying the entirety of the assembly as generated by the forward search process;
• and
• iteratively removing ones of the components of the plurality of components therefrom to generate the second combinations until a two-component set is reached, the removing the ones of the components in combinations therefrom based on calculated objective values associated with producing the second combinations by the first AM machine;
• automatically select a combination of the plurality of components from the first and second combinations for consolidation, the selection based on the objective values;
• generate a three-dimensional model of the selected combination of the plurality of components for transmission to an AM controller that is to cause the first AM machine to produce the assembly;
• and
• iterate through the forward search process and the reverse search process for remaining components of the plurality of components not included in the selected combination.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions

• to cause processor circuitry to at least:
• receive an indication of an assembly to produce by a first additive manufacturing (AM) machine, the assembly including a plurality of components, each of the components of the plurality of components represented by a respective part file;
• generate a first list and a second list based on the part files and the first AM machine, the first list to include pairs of components of the plurality of components that are in contact, the second list to include volumes and bounding box coordinates of individual components of the plurality of components, the first list and second list to be inputs to a forward search process and a reverse search process;
• perform the forward search process to reduce an amount of possible combinations of the plurality of components to evaluate for consolidation using a plurality of constraints including i) the respective volumes of the individual components, ii) connectivity between respective individual components, and iii) the first AM machine, wherein the forward search process includes:
• selecting a first one of the individual components of the plurality of components based on calculated metrics associated with producing the individual components of the plurality of components;
• and
• iteratively adding another component of the plurality of components thereto to generate first combinations until an entirety of the assembly is accounted for, the adding based on calculated metrics associated with manufacturing the first combinations by the first AM machine;
• perform the reverse search process to evaluate second combinations of the plurality of components by wherein the forward search process includes:
• obtaining the entirety of the assembly that was generated by the forward search process;
• and
• iteratively removing components therefrom to generate the second combinations until a two-component set is reached, the removing based on respective calculated metrics associated with producing the second combinations by the first AM machine;
• automatically select a combination of the plurality of components from the first and second combinations for consolidation based on the metrics;
• generate a three-dimensional model of the selected combination of the plurality of components for transmission to an AM controller that is to cause the first AM machine to produce the assembly;
• and
• iterate through the forward search process and the reverse search process for remaining components of the plurality of components not included in the selected combination.