Pack Merger: A 3D Print Volume Optimizer

We propose an optimization framework for 3D printing that seeks to save printing time and the support material
required to print 3D shapes. 3D printing technology is rapidly maturing and may revolutionize how we manufacture
objects. The total cost of printing, however, is governed by numerous factors which include not only the price
of the printer but also the amount of material and time to fabricate the shape. Our PackMerger framework converts
the input 3D watertight mesh into a shell by hollowing its inner parts. The shell is then divided into segments. The
location of splits is controlled based on several parameters, including the size of the connection areas or volume
of each segment. The pieces are then tightly packed using optimization. The optimization attempts to minimize the
amount of support material and the bounding box volume of the packed segments while keeping the number of
segments minimal. The final packed configuration can be printed with substantial time and material savings, while
also allowing printing of objects that would not fit into the printer volume. We have tested our system on three
different printers and it shows a reduction of 5%-30% of the printing time while simultaneously saving 15%-65%
of the support material. The optimization time was approximately 1 minute. Once the segments are printed, they
need to be assembled.