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Contact
igus® Ltd.

Caswell Road

Northampton, NN4 7PW

01604 677240
GB(EN)

Industrial 3D printing service

for wear-resistant special parts in one to three days


Online 3D printing service
3D printing is part of digital manufacturing. Each new component is first designed as a digital 3D model and then additively manufactured layer by layer. The 3D printing service from igus supplies components made from our own wear-resistant plastics with no minimum order quantity. We offer solutions specifically for applications in motion where conventional materials quickly reach their limits - our plastics are up to 50 times more wear-resistant than regular 3D printing plastics. Simply upload the CAD model of your component online and receive it printed in the desired quantity.

You don't have a CAD model at hand right now?
With our CAD configurator, you can easily create a 3D model for various types, such as gears and plain bearings. We also offer you planning security with the igus service life calculator, which can determine the expected service life of all components online. 
 
Get a component printed now

What you will find on this page:

3D-printed parts

What does the online 3D printing service from igus offer?

Just upload your 3D model and order online

Upload 3D models and order your component online from the 3D printing service
  • Upload up to ten files (STEP/STP/STL) by dragging and dropping them into the upload window or uploading them directly to the 3D printing service tool
  • Order the component right away online or request a quotation

Immediate price calculation and manufacturability check

Find out price and delivery time directly in the online 3D printing service
  • Order from 1 to 10,000 units
  • Prices and delivery time will be displayed immediately
  • Component manufacturability is checked with regard to wall thickness and installation space size: possible limitations are displayed right away

Wide range of materials and options for post-processing

large material selection in the online 3D printing service
  • Extremely wear-resistant plastics
  • Can be filtered according to environmental parameters and specific requirements
  • Materials for various application requirements
  • Optional: colouring and smoothing the component surface or re-drilling a thread

Specialised 3D printing services

Four-component part with integrated sensors

Multi-material printing

Multi-material printing uses up to four different filaments to make one component in a single work step. This combines the advantages of two or more different materials in one component.

Possible applications:
  • Service life and load-bearing capacity: the durable tribofilaments from igus can be combined with highly rigid materials. This allows for the construction of particularly strong components that also exhibit special sliding behaviour.
  • Components with integrated sensors: multi-material printing allows speedy manufacture of wear-resistant plastics with an integrated conductive sensor layer. This is how extremely durable special parts are created which issue a warning before overloading occurs or when the wear limit is reached to enable predictive maintenance.
Large-format 3D printer

Large-format 3D printing

The igus large-format 3D printer can be used to manufacture components of up to one metre in a single printing process. The large-format components made of igus high-performance polymers can be used without problems in large-scale mechanical engineering.

The 3D-printed components fare well in direct comparison with machined parts because of their lightweight designgreatly reduced material requirements (up to 85%) and cost-effective manufacture. For good surfaces and precise components, sub-areas can be reworked.

Possible areas of application include construction of jigs and special machines, and packaging technology.

Service life calculation for individual components

At igus, service life calculators have been successfully used for plain bearing applications for more than 25 years. The new service life calculation in the 3D printing service tool "iglidur Designer" allows you to determine the service life of individually shaped components for the first time. Simply select the sliding surface by clicking on it and enter your application parameters to immediately obtain a service life estimate. The data of the service life calculator are based on the results of 11,000 abrasion tests per year at 450 test points in the igus test laboratory. This means that users can now get all the information they need regarding price, manufacturability and delivery time, material specifications including expected service life and finishing of their individual 3D printing component easily in one tool.
 
Calculate gear service life

Service life calculator for polymer gears

This free online tool enables you to calculate the gear's service life by simply entering the gear dimensions and application parameters. Take part in an online workshop with Dipl. Ing. Tom Krause to find out more about using the gear service life calculator to determine the ideal design for a durable gear.
 

Which designs can I order from the 3D printing service?


The igus 3D printing service produces customised components of all kinds. Thanks to the freedom of geometry in additive manufacturing, there are no limits to a part's type. We print plain bearings, toothed belt discs, gears, worm wheels and grippers, among other things.
 
3D-printed grippers

Grippers in packaging

A changeover from aluminium to 3D printing for the production of grippers, Carecos Kosmetik GmbH was able to reduce costs by up to 85% and manufacturing time by up to 70%.
 
To the application example
Gripper fingers made from SLS powder suitable for ESD

Free gripper sample

Order a 3D-printed sample gripper made of iglidur® i8-ESD free of charge and take a look at the SLS material.

 
Order free gripper samples

Post-processing and finishing options


Components manufactured with the laser sintering process can be subsequently smoothed or coloured. Upload your CAD model and receive prices immediately! 
 
▶️ Upload model now
 

Smoothing the surface

Smoothing components greatly reduces surface roughness, improving the feel. The methods available are chemical smoothing and vibratory finishing. In both cases, the wall must be at least 1mm thick to ensure your component's stability and correct manufacture.

In chemical smoothing, the component is treated with a chemical after 3D printing. This softens and smooths the rough surface characteristic of laser sintering components. This also seals the surface. In tumbling, the component is placed in a container with abrasives after 3D printing, and the contact between the abrasives and the component smooths the latter's surface.

Colouring and rework

Our online 3D printing service allows black to be booked immediately. Other colours are available upon request. In colouring, dye penetrates about 0.4mm deep into the component, changing the measurements negligibly. Dyeing can reduce wear resistance by up to a factor of three, depending on the application. The mechanical specifications remain almost unchanged. A minimum wall thickness of 1mm is required for colouring.


Mechanical rework is offered when a component requires threads or threaded inserts, for instance. Mechanical rework is also necessary if components are to be manufactured with specific dimensions and tight tolerances.

Smoothed 3D printing roll
Coloured gears from laser sintering

More about the CAD configurators

Create 3D models yourself now with our free online configurators

For gears, racks, toothed belt discs, rollers, lead screw nuts, sliding plates and plain bearings. Simply configure and download 3D templates. Neither previous knowledge of CAD nor registration is required.

Here's how:

1. Select the desired component group
2. Enter the required dimensions. The 360° viewing function enables you to inspect the 3D model from all sides.
3. Select the required file format and download the CAD file.
4. To order the completed 3D model immediately online, download it in STEP format, then upload it to the 3D printing service section.
 
Go to CAD configurators
Configure 3D models online free of charge with the igus CAD configurators

Order a free 3D printing sample box

Select a sample part and test tribologically optimised 3D printing materials

See for yourself the quality and benefits of our 3D printing materials: Are you interested in 3D-printed components, but would like to hold them in your hand before making a final decision? You are welcome to order a free sample from us.
 

Miracle roller

3D printing roller with inner roller Roller with an inner rotating roller from a printing process
Material: iglidur® i3 (laser sintering material)
 
Order a free sample now

Drive nuts with lead screw

3D printed threads Printed drive nut on a printed threaded lead screw
Material: iglidur i3 (laser sintering material)

 
Order a free sample now

Elastic gripper

3D printed elastic gripper Printed elastic gripper
Material: iglidur i3 (laser sintering material) and elastic material (blue)
 
Order a free sample now

Worm gear

3D printed worm gear Worm gear
Material: iglidur i6 (laser sintering material)
 
Order a free sample now

Bevel gear

3D printed bevel gear Bevel gear
Material: iglidur i3 (laser sintering material)
 
Order a free sample now

Coloured gears

3D printed gears, helical Gears, helically toothed and coloured
Material: iglidur i3 (laser sintering material)
 
Order a free sample now

Two-component sample

Multi-material 3D printed coupling joint Multi-material component made from a filament optimised for friction and a highly rigid filament for maximum strength.
Materials: iglidur i150 and igumid P150 filament
 
Order a free sample now

ESD sample part

ESD component Electrostatically discharging roller. The surface was then chemically smoothed in post-processing.
Material: iglidur i8-ESD (laser sintering material)

 
Order a free sample now

The 3D printing service in practice


 

3D printing process in use

3D-printed pinions

Get an overview of the application areas in which the igus 3D printing service has played a decisive role.
 
Go to application examples

3D printing design guide

Online 3D printing service

Get practical tips on designing functional parts for manufacture in the 3D printing service.
 
Download the design guide


Consulting

I would be happy to answer your questions

Shipping and consultation

In person:

Monday to Friday from 8am - 8pm.

Online:

24h


The terms "igus", "Apiro", "chainflex", "CFRIP", "conprotect", "CTD", "drylin", "dry-tech", "dryspin", "easy chain", "e-chain", "e-chain systems", "e-ketten", "e-kettensysteme", "e-skin", "e-spool", "flizz", "ibow", "igear", "iglidur", "igubal", "igutex", "kineKIT", "manus", "motion plastics", "pikchain", "readychain", "readycable", "ReBeL", "speedigus", "triflex", "robolink", "xirodur", and "xiros" are legally protected trademarks of the igus® GmbH/ Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany and where applicable in some foreign countries.

igus® GmbH points out that it does not sell any products of the companies Allen Bradley, B&R, Baumüller, Beckhoff, Lahr, Control Techniques, Danaher Motion, ELAU, FAGOR, FANUC, Festo, Heidenhain, Jetter, Lenze, LinMot, LTi DRiVES, Mitsubishi, NUM,Parker, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Siemens, Stöber and all other drive manufacturers mention on this website. The products offered by igus® are those of igus® GmbH