This paper deals with generating cutting paths for laser cutting machines by representing a tool path in a novel way. Using the new representation, the tool path problem can be viewed as finding a partitioning of contours which minimises the sum of the costs of a rooted directed minimum spanning tree to connect the partitions and the costs of a generalised travelling salesman problem (GTSP) solutions within each partition. Using Edmond–Liu’s algorithm to solve the arborescence problem, an improved Lin–Kernighan heuristic to solve the GTSP and a heuristic-repartitioning approach, tool paths can be generated that are 4.2% faster than those generated by an existing tool path construction heuristic.
