Individual 3D printed plain bearings

The Berlin-based company Blackcam develops compact solutions for remote-controlled camera dollies that travel over narrow rails almost invisible to viewers during live broadcasts of concerts and sporting events.  On the way to a trade show, Blackcam engineer Ferenc Tiefenbach discovered a defective plain bearing in, of all things, the prototype of a new movement system for football matches. He did not have a spare part with him. Thanks to the fast 3D printing service of igus®, it was possible to print the needed part with iglidur® I180 and deliver it in just a few hours.  

In the development phase of an industrial, AI-controlled waste separation system, ZenRobotics, a Finnish company was looking for plain bearings that could handle a linear speed of 3m/s. The geometry had to be suitable for the grooved aluminium axles on which they are mounted. The 3D printing process allowed the plain bearings with their complex geometry to be produced and tested in a short time. In the next step, injection moulding tools were manufactured additively with print2mold to take advantage of injection moulding's material diversity.

The rudder bearing of an '80s-era sailboat was in bad shape. Wear and tear was too high after years of use. But the manufacturer had gone out of business, and the rudder bearing had very unusual dimensions for today's market. Where might a replacement be found? The answer was the igus 3D printing department: In two hours, the customer was able to design a plain bearing that exactly met requirements.

Folding bicycles, prams, wheelchairs - For transport purposes, many devices can be folded or partially dismantled and then re-assembled quickly and effortlessly. Unfortunately, there is an unpleasant side to this: lubricating oil on the metal parts. At best, you only get it on your hands, at worst, you get it on your clothes as well. Is that really necessary? No, if the plain bearings are printed and made of self-lubricating iglidur plastics from igus®.

Whether for replacement parts, special parts, prototypes or series - the areas of use for wear-resistant 3D-printed parts are manifold. Numerous customers profit from the flexibility of the design process for 3D printing and the long service life of iglidur® parts.