3D printed glide pad adapter clips for improved sliding on cable carriers

Application Overview:

• What was needed: Glide pad adapter clips for cable carriers
• Manufacturing method: Selective laser sintering
• Requirements: High abrasion resistance, long service life, good sliding properties
• Material: iglide i6
• Industry: Bulk Material Handling, Port & Terminal Cranes, Indoor & EOT Cranes, Construction Machinery
• Success through collaboration: Very fast production, individual shapes possible without tools, no minimum order quantity for printing, significantly lower costs and a simple ordering process

To increase the service life of e-chain cable carriers, glide pads were developed that were integrated into the module at a later stage. However, this construction resulted in a difference in height at the transition between glide bar and glide pads. To compensate for this height difference, an adapter clip was required. Since the chains are mostly used in abrasive environments, they should have a long service life, e.g. through high abrasion resistance and good sliding properties. Only a few parts should be manufactured for the development phase in order to be able to test product properties and functions without having to build expensive and complex injection moulding tools beforehand.

Developing the individual adapter clip proved to be fast and cost-effective thanks to the igus 3D printing service. Low volumes were produced within a short time to test and improve the different product specifications, and to have realistic samples at an early development stage. Furthermore, it was possible to monitor the functional behaviour without having to construct injection moulding tools in advance. The reduced development time also led to lower development costs. With the individual parts made of iglide i6, the adapters were able to fulfil all mechanical requirements that occur in harsh environments at the same time.

One of the greatest benefits of additive manufacturing is the tool-free production. In contrast to conventional manufacturing procedures, such as milling or injection moulding, no additional tools are needed here. Therefore, it is possible to print low volumes, which is very useful in the development phase. At the same time, the manufacturing process produces no waste as the left-over laser sintering powder can be reused after printing.

Apart from the low costs, the printing and the material can be adjusted and improved quickly, as was the case here. As only one left and one right adapter clip are necessary per chain, the entire quantity for one order remains low. Development is reduced and development costs remain low. The feel and appearance could also be evaluated within a very short time. The simple order process of 3D printing was also decisive for ordering the individual parts.

In the development phase, the material iglidur i6 was chosen, which had been specifically developed for laser sintering. The parts made of the high-performance polymer are very abrasion-resistant and have a longer service life than milled components. First tests of the chain confirm these specifications. As soon as the adapter clips had been "ground in" after the first friction, no further wear was detected. The integrated solid lubricants ensure good sliding properties and help the parts withstand the high friction in the transition between glide pad and glide bar.

According to Product Manager Christoph Koch, "the quality of the adapter clips printed in 3D made of iglidur i6 is comparable to that of parts made via injection molding".  For more unobtrusive parts of the cable carrier, it is possible to color I6 black upon request or to produce the adapter from the black laser sintering powder iglide i8-ESD.