Development of an Automated G-code Conversion System for WAAM Robotic Toolpath Generation

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), a type of Directed Energy Deposition, has become increasingly valuable for efficiently fabricating large and complex metallic structures. As demand grows for automating WAAM processes, the ability to directly utilize slicer-generated toolpaths has attracted significant interest. However, existing studies have largely focused on shell paths, with minimal exploration of internal infill structures in WAAM-specific workflows. In particular, the automated transformation of slicer-generated G-code―including embedded control parameters such as arc activation, cooling intervals, and robot positioning―into WAAM-compatible instructions remains relatively underexplored. This study proposes an algorithmic system that automatically converts full-layer G-code―including both shell and infill paths―into robotic code tailored for WAAM applications. The original G-code was extracted using the Cura slicer, and the conversion process integrated MATLAB-based implementations such as arc on/off control, insertion of cooling intervals, robot pose configuration, and interval-based logic for controlling path point density. The resulting process code was successfully verified through offline simulation and was also implemented on an industrial WAAM robot. The system demonstrated reliable execution of converted G-code in both virtual and physical environments, ensuring accurate geometric reproduction and consistent motion control. This work can be regarded as an early example of integrating slicer-generated G-code with WAAM-specific robotic systems, including infill structures, and presents a practical and extensible framework for bridging conventional slicer workflows with WAAM-compatible manufacturing systems.