G-Code2STEP-Converter for accurate representation of geometries created by material extrusion

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the fidelity gap between original digital designs and manufactured parts in material extrusion additive manufacturing by developing and validating a software framework that generates accurate virtual models based on toolpath data. Design/methodology/approach – A software framework, G-Code2STEP-Converter, was developed to generate accurate virtual models of material extrusion-produced parts based on toolpath motions. The framework’s performance was evaluated by conducting both physical and virtual three- point bending tests on specimens with varying infill patterns and densities. The virtual models were analyzed using finite element analysis. Findings – Results from the physical and virtual three-point bending experiments exhibited strong correlation for all inspected infill patterns and densities, confirming that the new software framework provides high-fidelity digital representations of the manufactured parts. Research limitations/implications – This study focuses on standard three-point bending tests and a range of commonly used infill patterns. Future work could extend the framework’s applicability to other testing methods and more complex geometries. Practical implications – The proposed framework enables the creation of high-fidelity digital twins in additive manufacturing workflows, supporting process optimization, quality prediction and archiving of manufacturing intent. Originality/value – This work introduces a novel tool for bridging the fidelity gap between designed and manufactured geometries in material extrusion, offering new capabilities for digital part verification and process documentation in additive manufacturing.