SUMMARY

In Additive Manufacturing (AM) systems, the Computer Aided Design (CAD) model is converted into layers in a process known as the slicing procedure. One of the limitations of AM is the geometrical inaccuracy and undesirable surface finish due to the layer-upon-layer application of the material. Inclined features suffer significantly from this drawback, known as the stair-step effect. While decreasing the layer thickness can reduce the stair-step effect, the cost of considerably increasing processing time is unappealing to manufacturers. This dissertation seeks to develop a new solution to slice tessellated CAD models with dynamic thickness layers. The proposed method negates the stair-step effect and provides smooth bonding between layers. A implementation will be performed on a 5-axis Fused Deposition Modeling platform. Additionally, the effects of process parameters on surface integrity will be studied.