Additive manufacturing processes at igus®

In SLS 3D printing, plastic powder is applied in layers with a blade and melted with a laser at specific points where the component is to be produced. This process is characterised above all by its cost-effectiveness, fast production and high dimensional accuracy of the printed components (from ±0.15mm).

Other benefits:

• Strength and good layer bonding
• Toughness: elongation at break is greater than 8%
• Intricate components with a wall thickness of up to 0.7mm can be realised
• Worldwide printing service: igus® has laser sintering plants in Germany, China, and the U.S.

Tip: compared to the SLS process, FDM 3D printing offers a greater variety of materials.

FDM is a 3D printing method in which material that can be melted (plastic) is heated and applied layer by layer through one or more nozzles. This method is also referred to as melt strand deposition or filament extrusion. The low purchase price of a filament printer and the usability make FDM the most widely used 3D printing process.

Multi-material printing: with the 3D printing service, it is also possible to produce parts from up to four different filaments in one printing process.

▸ Find out more

Tip: if you would like to do without support material and require components with good layer bonding and higher dimensional accuracy (<±0.2mm), the SLS and DLP processes are more suitable than FDM.

DLP is a 3D printing process in which synthetic resin in a basin is exposed layer by layer to UV light, thereby curing or polymerising it. A UV light source strikes an array of mirrors, which reflect the light as two-dimensional layer geometry, shining it onto the material.

Benefits:

• High print resolution of up to 35µm
• Isotropic mechanical properties (no strength disadvantages thanks to the layer structure)
• Clean and smooth surface
• Possible areas of application: gears with Tooth Module 0.2 and special components that require intricate recesses, internal channels or the finest holes

DLP vs SLA:
A major advantage of 3D printing using the DLP process is the time saved. Unlike the SLA process, in which each dot is lasered individually, the DLP process cures the resin surface by surface, so build time is a fraction of that required for SLA. The resolution is also greatly increased (up to 35µm pixels).