igus has extended its range of 3D printing materials with the addition of a new material, iglidur I6, for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Characterised by a wear resistance of at least six times higher than that of standard materials, iglidur I6 is well-suited for printing high-wear parts, such as gears, offering a particularly long service life.
In this week’s video, igus puts a 3D printed gear wheel, made of iglidur I6, through its paces at the company’s in-house 2,750 m2 test lab. In the test a worm wheel drive with 5 Nm torque and 12 rpm was used, and gears made from three different materials compared.
The SLS printed PA12 gear failed after 521 cycles, as the heat generated by friction melted the plastic. The gear made of iglidur I3 stopped at around 345,000 cycles. The iglidur I6 gear was still fully functional after 1 million cycles, showing only minor wear.
The iglidur I6 gear was also compared with machined gears. The gear made of POM (Polyoxymethylene) failed after 621,000 cycles, while the machined PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate) gear stopped working after 155,000 cycles.
To watch the video showing the iglidur I6 3D printed gear under test, please visit: http://www.igus.co.uk/iglidurI6print
It is quick and easy to order 3D printed gears from igus made of iglidur I6 material. Simply visit www.igus.co.uk/3dprint, upload the design file of the gear and select the new SLS material iglidur I6. The part will be dispatched within 1-3 days.
