3D printing news 2020 

Fast manufacture of intelligent special parts for predictive maintenance

The components made with the multi-material printing process enable predictive maintenance for quickly manufactured special parts so that machine downtime and maintenance work can be reduced sustainably. Due to the sensor layer, the intelligent 3D isense components issue a warning before the wear limit is reached or if overloading occurs.

Greater strength, better surface and lower component price
The laser sintering material iglide I6 is the third wear-resistant, 3D printing plastic that has been tested for contact with food and has been approved in accordance with the requirements of FDA as well as EU 10/2011. Special parts, prototypes and series for applications in the food and beverage industry can now be made in quantities of 1 to 10,000 in only 3 days.  Thanks to the incorporated solid lubricants, lubrication of the moving parts is not necessary and the special combination of materials reduces abrasion by a factor of up to 50.

Rigid multi-material partner for iglide I150 and for structural parts

The new fiber-reinforced 3D printing filament igumid P150, has been specially developed as a partner material for iglide I150, for the manufacture of especially strong and simultaneously low-friction components produced with the multi-material printing process. Thanks to its great strength and rigidity, igumid P150 can be used to print stable structural parts and for lightweight construction with little need for material.

New SLS machines in the USA and China
Shorter delivery times worldwide for 3D-printed components made of iglide materials. Thanks to new SLS systems in the igus factories in North America and Asia, components can be ordered online in the 3D printing service tool regardlessof the customer's location and can be sent to design engineers and customers worldwide in just a few days.

Wall thickness analyses and undercut analysis
With the new functions in the 3D printing service tool, you can immediately check the feasibility of 3D models online. For 3D-printed parts, the minimum wall thicknesses and the size are checked with regard to printing format capacity. In the case of print2mold (injection-molded parts made of additively manufactured molds), the tool also carries out an undercut analysis.  
 
After individual ambient parameters have been entered, the online 3D printing services indicates the most suitable iglide material. Slide grinding of SLS parts and colouring them black can now be selected online as well. Prices and delivery times are indicated right away so that the component can be ordered or an enquiry submitted immediately.

Abrasion-resistant components now also electrostatically conductive
With iglide I8-ESD, electrostatically conductive components with increased rigidity and abrasion resistance can now be manufactured. They are ideal for applications where electrostatic charging has to be avoided. iglide I8-ESD can be ordered in the 3D printing service tool and the components will be delivered in 3 days. iglide I8-ESD SLS powder for processing in the customer's own laser sintering system is available in the shop.

The new all-rounder filament
The new filament combines and improves the properties of tried-and-tested tribo-filaments: higher strength, easy processing and increased temperature stability make the new all-rounder tribo-filament ideal for the speedy production of abrasion-resistant components. I119 is available in the online shop and as material in the 3D printing service.

3D printing consisting of 2 components and molded 3D printing
With 2-component printing, slide and wear-optimized 3D printing materials are combined with other materials or with injection molding within a component. In this way, the mechanical specifications can be increased without having to sacrifice the high wear resistance.

High-temperature filament for applications with food contact
The abrasion-resistant, high-temperature filament iglide A350 complies with the food requirements of EU 10/2011 and FDA and is ideal for applications in the food and packaging industry.  Temperature-resistant up to 180°C, fire-retardant in accordance with UL94-V0, suitable for steam sterilization - and considerably more cost-effective than the PEEK material commonly used in the industry.
 
Available in the shop as filament for high temperature printers and as individual components in the 3D printing service from 4 business days.

The CAD configurator for sliding elements
With the CAD configurator for sliding elements, sliding plates according to the required dimensions can be configured online with just a few clicks and immediately ordered in the 3D printing service. Round and rectangular templates with drawn-in holes can be processed free of charge or downloaded for further processing with the customer's own software.

No previous knowledge required
With the CAD configurator, individual lead screw nuts can be configured online with just a few clicks and then immediately ordered. The CAD templates contain an optimised trapezoidal thread so that no rework is necessary.

Now also available on large reels in the shop
The easy-to-process filament I150 is up to 50 times more abrasion-resistant than regular 3D printing material and is therefore ideal for the construction of components that undergo gliding speeds of up to 0.2m/s. In addition, it is also food-compatible according to EU10/2011 regulation.
 
The new 8kg spool is perfectly suitable for printing large components in large format printers - it has been tested successfully on large-format 3D printers. .Time saving and less waste due to less frequent spool replacement. No discontinuation of the printing job due to sudden failure of the filament flow.

Specially developed for iglide filaments
The igus bonding agent ensures secure bonding on different printing plates and thus prevents component warpage. After printing, finished components can be released easily without any additional aids. Can be applied quickly and easily and, if necessary, easily removed.