Nonplanar rotary 3D printing framework for sustainable thin-walled structures manufacturing

Rotary 3D printing offers an effective approach for fabricating cylindrical and curved-surface geometries without conventional supports, yet existing rotary slicing strategies remain unstandardized and difficult to reproduce across diverse platforms. This work introduces a unified, open-source rotary 3D printing framework integrating three complementary slicing pipelines, ranging from CAD-driven visual scripting to a fully automated Python–based user interface workflow. The framework incorporates a volume-preserving unwrapping formulation and a calibrated flow-ratio compensation factor that significantly improves extrusion continuity and seam-line closure. Multi-material dissolvable raft support strategies are implemented to enhance mandrel tolerance control, adhesion tuning, and sustainable detachment. The framework is validated through comprehensive quantitative experiments. Optical 3D metrology and roughness measurements demonstrate uniform radial and circumferential surface quality across cylindrical and auxetic structures. Annular-ring tests verify the effectiveness of correction in eliminating seam gaps. Scanning electron microscopy and optical cross-section imaging confirm interlayer fidelity and void-free dual-material bonding. Comparative studies further show notable reductions in material consumption and energy usage relative to planar printing with dense supports. Demonstrations across auxetic lattices, re-entrant structures, chiral shells, spiral geometries, and thin-walled cylinders highlight the robustness and versatility of the approach. Overall, this work establishes a general-purpose and open-source rotary manufacturing framework compatible with commercial 3D printers and suitable for programmable and 4D printing applications.