Service life calculation thanks to the test laboratory

iglidur 3D-printed components on the test rig

Comparison of 3D printed linear bearings

Less wear than ABS by a factor of 33

3D printed gears in testing

Up to 80% more abrasion-resistant than ordinary plastics

3D printed bushing in short linear stroke testing

More than 300 times the service life of ABS

Printed drive thread leadscrew nuts tested

Up to 18 times the durability of ABS

3D printed plain bearings in the pivot test

Up to 50 times the abrasion resistance of PA12

Coefficient of friction and service life test for rotating bearings

Long service life for iglidur i3, complete failure for ABS

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 0.11MPa
• Surface speed: 0.34m/s
• Stroke: 370mm
• Duration: 3 weeks

Shaft materials: alu hc

     Y = wear rate [μm/km]

     X-axis: materials under test

     1. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
     2. iglidur i180 (FDM 3D printing)
     3. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
     4. iglidur J (injection moulding)

Test result:
The long-stroke test shows 15 times lower wear values for iglidur i180 (FDM) and even 33 times lower values for iglidur i3 (laser sintering). Due to the very good tribological specifications, the wear-resistant iglidur materials are ideal for long-stroke applications, e.g. X-Y linear robots for pick & place applications or plain bearings and glide bars in the 3D printer.

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 1MPa
• Surface speed: 0.3m/s 
• Stroke: 5mm
• Duration: one week

Shaft materials:
■ CF53/1.1213: hardened steel
■ V2A/1.4301: stainless steel

     Y-axis: wear rate [μm/km]

     X-axis: materials under testing

     1. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
     2. iglidur® J260 (FDM 3D printing)
     3. iglidur® J260 (injection moulding)

Test result:
The plain bearing made of wear-resistant plastic iglidur J260 has similar good wear rates, regardless of whether it was manufactured using 3D printing or injection moulding. iglidur J260 injection-moulded plain bearings and bearings printed in 3D were tested with the same load and surface speed. This test also shows that, thanks to tribological properties, our iglidur 3D printing materials exhibit a coefficient of friction and abrasive wear that is much lower than those in standard ABS materials.Determine the service life of 3D printed plain bearings in your application: just enter the necessary parameters into the free plain bearing service life calculator, and the service life is calculated:

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 1MPa
• Surface speed: 0.1m/s

Shaft materials:
■ CF53/1.1213: hardened steel
■ V2A/1.4301: stainless steel

X-axis: Materials in the test

1. iglidur i3 (laser sintering 3D printing)
2. iglidur i150 (FDM 3D printing)
3. iglidur i190 (FDM 3D printing)
4. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
5. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
6. PA66 (injection moulding)
7. POM (machined)
8. PA66 (machined)

Y axis: wear rate [mg/km] (a lower wear rate means a longer service life)

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 20MPa
• Surface speed: 0.01m/s
• Pivoting angle 60°
• Duration: 4 weeks

Shaft materials: 304 SS

     Y = wear rate [µm/km] 

     X-axis: materials under test

     1. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
     2. PA12 + glass balls (SLS 3D printing)
     3. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
     4. iglidur W300 (injection moulding)

Test result:

In the pivot test, the tribological specifications of the iglidur filaments lead to an abrasion resistance that is up to 50 times higher than that of standard 3D printing materials (e.g. ABS). Wear-resistant polymer ensures a much longer service life of plain bearings and other components.How long will a printed iglidur bearing last in your application? Just enter the requirements and determine the service life online with our free plain bearing service life calculator.

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 2MPa
• Surface speed: 0.01m/s
• Pivoting angle 60°

Shaft materials:
■ CF53/1.1213: hardened steel
■ V2A/1.4301: stainless steel

X-axis: Materials in the test

1. iglidur i3 (laser sintering 3D printing)
2. iglidur i150 (FDM 3D printing)
3. iglidur i190 (FDM 3D printing)
4. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
5. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
6. PA66 (injection moulding)
7. POM (machined)
8. PA66 (machined)

Y axis: wear rate [mg/km] (a lower wear rate means a longer service life)

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 10, 20 and 45MPa
• Surface speed: 0.01m/s
• Pivoting angle 60°
• Duration: one week

     Y-axis: wear rate [μm/km]

     X-axis: materials under testing

     1. iglidur i3 (laser sintering 3D printing)
     2. iglidur i180 (FDM 3D printing)
     3. iglidur G (injection moulding)
     4. iglidur W300 (injection moulding)

Test result: This heavy-duty test shows that 3D printed plain bearings (produced with the laser sintering printing method) can withstand loads of up to 45MPa surface pressure. The abrasive wear and tribological specifications are just as good as those of plain bearings from injection moulding. In the test, plain bearings with a diameter and length of 20mm were tested, i.e. 1,800kg of load on the 3D printed plain bearing. The test results show that plain bearings made of wear-resistant iglidur polymers are also suitable for heavy-duty applications. Determine the exact service life of a 3D-printed plain bearing made of iglidur in your application: just enter the necessary parameters into the free plain bearing service life calculator, and the service life is calculated online. 

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 1 and 2MPa
• Surface speed: 0.01m/s
• Temperature: 23°C

Shaft material: 304 SS

X-axis: materials under test

1. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
2. iglidur i8-ESD (SLS 3D printing)
3. iglidur J (injection moulding)
4. iglidur UW (injection moulding)
5. iglidur UW160 (injection moulding)

     Y-axis: wear rate [µm/km]

Test result:
This pivoting test under water shows that 3D-printed plain bearings made of the electrostatically dissipative laser sintering material iglidur i8-ESD have a particularly long service life and the material is therefore just as suitable for such applications as the injection moulding materials iglidur UW and UW160, which were specifically developed for use under water.
iglidur J is a frequently used igus material in dry environments, but is not so well suited for use under water due to its rather high wear rate.

Test parameters:

• Torque: 129Nm
• Stroke: 370mm
• Speed: 290rpm
• Duration: 2 weeks

     Y = wear rate [mg/km]

     X-axis: materials under test

     1. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
     2. iglidur i180 (FDM 3D printing)
     3. iglidur J260 (FDM 3D printing)
     4. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
     5. iglidur J (injection moulding)

Test result:
In this test, the wear resistance of igus 3D printing materials is 6 to 18 times higher than that of conventional materials, depending on the 3D printing material and process.
Producing drive nuts using 3D printing offers cost advantages, especially for small quantities, as the thread can be produced directly in the 3D print and no expensive tool is required to cut the thread. All that is required is that the thread is designed in the model.
 

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 1MPa
• Surface speed: 0.1m/s

Shaft material: Cf53

     Y = coefficient of friction [-]
     X = operating time [h]

     1. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
     2. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)


 

Test result:
In the test, the tribological specifications of iglidur i3 are better by a factor of 2 than those of the standard 3D printing materials. This is because iglidur materials contain solid lubricants, which lower the coefficient of friction and significantly increase wear resistance. Wear-resistant plastics and tribological specifications are helpful in the design of motors and drive forces, as only half the drive forces are required with half the friction. In our free plain bearing service life calculator, enter your requirements to determine how long a 3D printed bearing made of iglidur will last in your application. 

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 20MPa
• Surface speed: 0.01m/s

Shaft material: V2A

     Y-axis: wear rate [μm/km]

     X-axis: materials under testing

     1. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
     2. PA12 (laser sintering 3D printing)
     3. iglidur i180 (FDM 3D printing)
     4. iglidur J260 (FDM 3D printing)
     5. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
     6. iglidur W300 (injection moulding)

Test result:
The wear of printed bearings including iglidur i180 is 89.5% lower than that of bearings made from the ABS plastic frequently used in 3D printing using the same process. The sintered bearing made of iglidur i3 proved 94.87% less wear than the sintered bearing made of PA12. Only bearings printed from the iglidur J260 special filament and injection moulded from iglidur W300 had better values. How long will a 3D printed bearing made of iglidur last in your application? Use our online plain bearing service life calculator to precisely determine service life by entering the necessary requirements. 

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 1MPa
• Surface speed: 0.3m/s 

Shaft materials:
■ CF53/1.1213: hardened steel
■ V2A/1.4301: stainless steel

X-axis: Materials in the test

1. iglidur i3 (laser sintering 3D printing)
2. iglidur i190 (FDM 3D printing)
3. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
4. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
5. PA66 (injection moulding)
6. POM (machined)
7. PA66 (machined)

Y axis: wear rate [mg/km] (a lower wear rate means a longer service life)

Test parameters:

• Surface pressure: 1 and 2MPa
• Surface speed: 0.3m/s 
• Temperature: 23°C

Shaft material: 304 SS

X-axis: materials under test

1. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
2. iglidur i8-ESD (SLS 3D printing)
3. iglidur J (injection moulding)
4. iglidur UW (injection moulding)
5. iglidur UW160 (injection moulding)

     Y-axis: wear rate [µm/km]

 

Test result:
The rotation test under water shows that 3D-printed plain bearings made of the electrostatically dissipative laser sintering material iglidur i8-ESD have a particularly long service life and the material is therefore just as suitable for such applications as the injection moulding materials iglidur UW and UW160, which were specially developed for use under water.
iglidur J is a frequently used igus material in dry environments, but is not so well suited for use under water due to its rather high wear rate.

Test conditions:

• ASTM G154 cycle: simulation of weathering conditions and UV light
• Duration: 2,000 hours

X-axis: materials under test

1. iglidur i8-ESD (SLS 3D printing)
2. iglidur i3 (SLS 3D printing)
3. iglidur i6 (SLS 3D printing)
4. iglidur J (injection moulding)
5. iglidur G (injection moulding)

Y-axis: percentage change in strength

Test result: SLS materials are in no way inferior to injection-moulding materials

After the test specimens were exposed to moisture and UV light for 2,000 hours, the test proved that the iglidur materials for selective laser sintering show a similar change in strength as the most commonly used injection-moulding materials iglidur J and G. The SLS material iglidur i8-ESD is most resistant to weathering and UV light. This test makes it clear that the iglidur 3D printing materials are in no way inferior to injection-moulding materials in terms of UV and weather resistance.

Test parameters:
Pivoting 1440°:
n = 64rpm
M = 2.25Nm
z= 30
m= 1
b = 6mm

In this test, a gear drives a rack, and the number of cycles completed before the gear breaks is recorded. It can be seen that the iglidur gears made by 3D printing or laser sintering lasted twice as long as milled gears made of POM.

X-axis: Materials in the test

1. iglidur i3 (printed)
2. iglidur i8-ESD (printed)
3. POM (milled)
4. iglidur i6 (printed)
5. iglidur i190 (printed)
6. PLA (printed)
7. PETG (printed)
8. SLA 

Y-axis: cycles until tooth breakage

Except for the gear made of POM, the CAD models for all tested gears come from the igus gear configurator.

Wear is an important aspect of parts in moving applications. Wear-resistant polymers such as our iglidur materials are the solution for minimising wear and increasing the parts' service life. Their tribological specifications make iglidur materials perfect for all applications in which a good coefficient of friction and very low wear are key. The igus test laboratory covers 3,800m². In an extensive series of experiments, igus is researching and developing new 3D printing materials for moving applications in the industry's largest test laboratory. All materials are tested regarding their tribological properties in different test series so as to minimise wear and maintenance intervals. They are particularly low-friction and wear-resistant and ensure a lubrication-free and low-maintenance operation. iglidur polymers offer very good tribological specifications and ensure a longer service life for polymer components.

In our test laboratory, we continuously test the tribological specifications of 3D-printed parts in accordance with DIN ISO 7148-2. The test series included linear, pivoting and rotating movements on various shaft materials. With our iglidur® J260 filament, the coefficients of friction and wear were low in all tests, while the standard ABS material failed quickly in the rotating test on the stainless steel shaft. The printed plain bearings made of iglidur special filament are similarly wear-resistant in all test setups as classic iglidur injection-moulded components. Thanks to the wear-resistant plastic iglidur i3 and an optimised tooth shape, our 3D printed gears achieve a longer service life than standard materials.