Custom 3D printed linear module

23rd February 2017

Peter Smith

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The igus drylin SLTI3 linear axis enables machine builders to 3D print carriage and end blocks from high-performance iglidur I3 tribo-SLS material. According to the company, this offers the highest degree of variability in linear axis design. Produced within 48 hours of order placement, these self-lubricating and maintenance-free lead screw units can be built cost-effectively and to customer requirements.

“The purpose of developing the SLTI3 lead screw unit was to enable quick and very easy assembly, with the maximum possible variability,” says Robert Dumayne, dry-tech director, igus. “We also reduced the component count, compared to our standard SLT module, enabling it to be assembled in seconds.”

Self-lubricating and maintenance-free linear axes from igus are already the core components of many automation tasks in beverage and food processing. Among them is the drylin SLT series, which features a side mounted lead screw configuration and is available as a manual or motor powered system. The drylin SLTI3 lead screw unit augments this series with a very flexible system.

The machine builder not only receives the custom-made lead screw unit in a very short time, but ideas for new profile designs, stroke lengths or fastening options can also be easily implemented. The iglidur I3 material used in the drylin SLTI3 lead screw unit, which was developed by igus for selective laser sintering, enables even the most complex shapes to be printed. Extensive tests conducted at the igus test laboratory in Cologne, Germany, comparing iglidur I3 with conventional SLS materials, confirm that this material is at least three times more abrasion resistant.