Maintenance crew uses 3D-Printed replacement motor gear for tractor

The tractor now works reliably again thanks to the gear made of iglide® i3, which has significantly better sliding properties and greater wear resistance than the previously installed gear made of conventional plastic.

Application Overview:

• What was needed: replacement gear for a tractor motor
• Production method: selective laser sintering
• Requirements: high wear resistance, good sliding and mechanical properties
• Material: iglide i3
• Industry: utility vehicles
• Success from the collaboration: manufacturing costs are one-tenth of those for conventional production methods, complex part made in one piece, improved abrasion resistance

Problem
Often, it is not as easy as one thinks to obtain replacement parts from the original manufacturer. This was the case here: the manufacturer of the tractor, which the igus cleaning team used for various jobs, such as gritting the site, was unable to provide a new gear. The broken gear operated as starter for the large drive pulley of the motor. The load acting on the gear every time the engine was started was too high for the component made of regular plastic, so that it soon wore out and broke. Therefore, a special gear was required that fitted exactly, was wear-resistant and had good sliding properties.

Solution
The 3D printing team tackled the problem and was able to design a drawing of the original gear by using the broken one. This was converted into a STEP file and then printed via selective laser sintering with iglide i3. The tool-free 3D printing cost €28 per piece, which was ten times more cost-effective than mechanical production, which would have amounted to more than €300. For additive manufacturing, the special shape of the gear with the spindle geometry in its interior is no problem. Furthermore, the printed gear promises a longer service life compared to the previously used gear due to the higher abrasion resistance of the material. The tractor was saved from scrapping and could be used again in its full functionality.

One of the great advantages of 3D printing is the virtually unlimited freedom when designing the required parts. There is hardly any shape that cannot be produced in one go. If you want to produce a replacement part that either cannot be delivered any more by the manufacturer or has a special design, 3D printing is the right choice.

Often, only small amounts of replacement parts are required. In this case, it is also a lot more cost-effective to produce the parts with an additive method. The tool-free and resource-saving production results in more cost-effective quantities. In the case of the tractor, only one gear was required. With mechanical manufacturing, this would have cost more then €300 - printed in 3D, the piece cost €28.