Integrating A Six-Axis Robotic Arm And Fused Deposition Modeling Extruder For An Enhanced Robotic Additive Manufacturing Process

Abstract

This paper presents a novel method for robotic 3D printing using a six-axis robotic arm that enhances precision, scalability, and flexibility. Traditional 3D printing systems often face scalability, material versatility, and spatial reach limitations, particularly in industrial settings. Integrating a robotic arm into the 3D printing process expands the potential for producing complex geometries and larger structures. This study outlines a structured approach to implementing a robotic additive manufacturing (RAM) system by integrating a UR5 robotic arm and a fused deposition modeling (FDM) extruder as the robot's end-effector to achieve precise, multi-angle printing capabilities. Key steps include preparing the hardware environments, configuring RoboDK software, integrating a slicer to generate G-code from the 3D model, and developing a path planning algorithm to generate collision-free paths optimized for speed, accuracy, and efficiency. Finally, calibration, iterative testing, and refinement are performed to optimize the setup for reliable and safe operations. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in print accuracy and structural integrity compared to conventional methods.