New PTFE-free filament from igus impresses with coefficient of wear that is 100 times better than those of standard 3D printing materials

If wear-resistant components made of high-performance plastics are required, igus offers the right choice from over 50 different materials for injection moulding. The 3D printing service comes into play for the cost-effective and fast production of components with special shapes, prototypes or small batches. igus has now added iglidur i190PF to its filament range so that customers can now also easily obtain extremely strong, wear-resistant and PTFE-free components from 3D printing.

igus is consistently pursuing the goal of transferring all of the established plain bearing materials for injection moulding to 3D printing. With the introduction of the new filament iglidur i190PF, the company has now taken another important step: the PTFE-free version of the popular standard plain bearing material iglidur W300 is now being successfully used as a twin material for 3D printing. With FDM printing, users can now achieve the same material quality and wear resistance as in injection moulding. “We wanted to offer PTFE-free materials for all 3D processes at a time when there is discussion about a possible PFAS ban,” explains Jonas Burk, Head of Additive Manufacturing at igus. Apart from a PTFE-free resin and SLS material, iglidur i190PF is now the first PTFE-free filament from igus. It is based on the proven tribofilament iglidur i190 and has the same tribological specifications as the injection-moulding material iglidur W300PF, which is one of the standard materials at igus. It is also characterised by its high flexural strength of 80MPa and its lubrication-free and maintenance-free operation. The new filament impresses with its high mechanical strength and exceptional abrasion resistance, which significantly outperforms standard plastics such as ABS or nylon. The printed components can be used at temperatures of up to 90°C and have a long service life in lubrication-free operation. iglidur i190PF is also suitable for the design of sliding parts for multi-material components as it bonds very well with highly rigid materials. The filament can be easily machined on all commercially available closed 3D printers with heated printing plates.

Fast production of customised components

Tests in the company’s own 5,500m2 test laboratory confirm the very good wear and coefficient of friction compared to standard materials for FDM printing. In a pin-on-disk test with a load of 10 N on a disc made of 304 stainless steel, a printed test specimen made of iglidur i190PF scored with a 100-fold better wear rate compared to a printed test specimen made of PETG. With iglidur i190PF, design engineers can now print PTFE-free wear-resistant parts in 3D without having to accept differences in material performance compared to the well-known and proven filament iglidur i190. igus offers the new filament for in-house processing and via the 3D printing service. Users can upload their STEP file, select the material and quantity they need and receive their component within a few days.

Find out more about the igus 3D printing service at 3D printing service from igus