Optimizing the Nozzle Path in the 3D Printing Process

In this paper, we define the 3D printing routing problem, the problem of finding the optimal path of the nozzle in a fused deposition modeling 3D printing system, so as to minimize the time required to create on object. We formally model the problem with an integer linear programming formulation and then solve it via heuristic algorithms. We test the algorithms on a set of large-size real-life instances, comparing them with one of the most widely used open source software for the problem. We show that large time reductions can be obtained. We finally propose a set of interesting directions for future research.