Multinational polymer manufacturerigushas released a new Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing material that’s said to last up to 60 times longer than those of its competitors.
Developed using igus’ proprietary ‘tribo-technology,’iglide i3000is tribologically-optimized in a way that enables it to produce accurate, highly wear-resistant parts. When DLP 3D printed, the firm says that its resin is ideal for creating tiny, detailed components like 0.2mm-tooth module gears, as well as any others that usually require filigree recesses or ultra-fine drill holes.
“We were able to prove in laboratory tests that the service life of iglide i3000 is at least 30 times longer than 10 tested commercially 3D printing resins,’’ says Tom Krause, Head of Additive Manufacturing at igus. “In some applications, we even expect an increase in service life by a factor of 60.”
Igus的聚合物3D打印组合
Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, igus is an industrial polymer manufacturer and part production service provider, with around 4,900 staff and operations in 35 countries. The company’s offering revolves around the ‘self-lubricating’ materials it has developed, which it both markets directly to customers, and uses to create everything from highly-flexible cables to parts like gears, bushings and bearings.
Leveraging its expertise in polymer formulation, igus has also developed a range of filaments and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) materials under its iglidur and igumid labels, enabling it to address the 3D printing market. As well as allowing customers to order these plastics, the firm offers services through which they can upload CAD models, before ordering parts made from the materials directly in small batches.
过去，Igus使用其内部SLS和融合沉积建模（FDM）功能来开发定制铅螺钉单元with a self-lubricating linear axis, in addition to cogs forEaselink的矩阵电动电动机充电系统, and with its offering now set to expand into DLP, this should open new applications to its customer base.
Tribo-optimized DLP production
根据Igus的说法，许多现有的3D打印树脂在为模型制作等应用程序制作微小的零件时遭受了“常见问题”，因为它们“并不特别强大，并且很快失败”。为了解决这个问题，该公司已转向以前用来开发其开发其的摩擦技术J260-PFfilament, in which a material’s properties are tuned for lubrication in high-friction use cases.
Leveraging this tribology optimization approach, igus has now developed iglide i3000, a material enriched with solid lubricants that make it ideal for DLP 3D printing self-lubricating, low-maintenance components. Thanks to the company’s tribo-technology, the resin is also capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 80°C for long periods, potentially lending it applications in thermally-demanding areas.
除了其新材料外，Igus还宣布了其功能的扩展，还包括DLP 3D打印，因此现在能够生产具有精细功能的零件，降低到仅为0.035毫米。因此，该公司表示，客户将很快能够利用修订的服务，订购具有复杂内部渠道的高耐用性零件，并细节尺寸为人头毛的厚度的一半。
Though iglide i3000 is only currently in the beta phase with initial customers, igus says that it 3D printed over 200,000 abrasion-resistant parts in 2021 alone. With no minimum order quantity, a capacity of up to 10,000 units per batch and several updates being developed for its online platform, the firm is now encouraging those interested in testing its new service to produce high-wear parts to reach out.
“我们正在努力确保在线工具中还可以使用DLP 3D打印，客户可以使用它们来上传其组件的步骤文件或仅单击几下配置齿轮，” Krause补充说。“得益于3D打印和在线配置的结合，等待无磨损的特殊组件的数周是过去的。”
3D printing high-wear bearings
While the self-lubricating properties of igus’ materials are relatively unique in the industry, it has previously proven possible to 3D print high-durability parts like bearings via other means. In March last year,Jabillaunched thedurability-focused PA 0600, a filament that teams a high level of resistance with a smooth surface, making it ideal for manufacturing low-friction gears, fixtures and tooling.
Back in 2019, researchers at thePolitehnica of Bucharest Universityalso developedvibration-free FDM materialsfor Geneva gear systems. At the time, the team suggested that their material featured the properties needed to be 3D printed into affordable, functional mechanisms like springs, bearings, clutches and sliders.
Elsewhere, in a similar application,CeramicSpeedhas worked with the丹麦技术学院到3D打印durable pulley wheel for pro cyclists。使用An产生SLM Solutions3D打印机，轻巧的齿轮设计为在法国环法自行车赛等活动中的竞争条件中的应用足以弹性。
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the3D打印行业newsletter或跟随我们Twitter或喜欢我们的页面Facebook。
For a deeper dive into additive manufacturing, you can now subscribe to ourYoutubechannel, featuring discussion, debriefs, and shots of 3D printing in-action.
Are you looking for a job in the additive manufacturing industry? Visit3D Printing Jobsfor a selection of roles in the industry.
Featured image shows a bottle of the new igus iglide i3000 DLP 3D printing material. Image via igus.
