A resin developed specifically for 3D-printing high-precision wear parts on DLP (digital light processing)-style printers has been introduced by igus. According to the German materials manufacturer, iglide i3000 achieves a resolution of 0.035 mm and reportedly yields parts that last 30 to 60 times longer than those printed from currently available 3D printing resins.

The company reports that i3000 has been used to make gear tips as thin as 0.2 mm that require no postprocessing. The material also incorporates microscopic solid lubricants that release independently during operation. This eliminates the need to lubricate gears while in use.

On a related note, the company is expanding its 3D printing service offerings. In addition to the SLS (selective laser sintering) and FDM (fused deposition modeling) styles of 3D printing currently offered, customers will soon be able to specify parts made by the DLP process.

The Additive Report focuses on the use of additive manufacturing technology in the real world of manufacturing. Today’s manufacturers are using 3D printing technology to create tools and fixtures, and some are even using AM for high-volume production work. Their stories will be covered here.

© 2022 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Not yet registered? Sign up