Aug 19, 2016 | By Alec
While desktop 3D printing has certainly become a very potent prototyping technology, many end-product manufacturers still stay away from 3D printers for a number of reasons. Production quality is certainly one of those reasons (and one that can be overcome), but material limitations cannot be underestimated as well. Injection molding simply has access to a far wider range of materials with attractive properties. But even this is slowly changing, and more and more filaments with industrial-level properties are appearing. German manufacturer igus has just added another to that list with C210, a Tribo-Filament that is highly resistant to chemicals, high temperatures and abrasion.
igus, as you might know, is a German manufacturer of a wide range of industrial plastic components. With offices throughout the world and more than 3000 employees, they are a market leader when it comes to plastic plain bearings, spherical bearings, linear guides, technical polymer components and other plastic parts. When it comes to plastics, they pride themselves on developing over 100 new compounds every year.
While their plastic experts are mostly focused on injection molding materials (referred to as Triboplastics for their attractive abrasion-resistant properties) those same materials are now increasingly being adapted for 3D printing. Back in 2014, they already released the world’s first 3D printable Tribo-Filament, which was 50 times more resistant to abrasion than conventional 3D printing materials and even suitable for the 3D printing of bearings. Five more of these Tribo-Filaments followed.
This new C210 3D printer filament can be seen in a similar light, featuring the very attractive abrasion-resistant properties of Triboplastics but now combining that with excellent chemical resistance levels. Parts 3D printed with this new C210 filament can even be placed into contact with chemicals and a wide range of aggressive cleaning agents, acids and solvents – even hydrogen peroxide. C210 can also withstand long-term exposure to temperatures of up to 212º F, and short term exposure to temperatures up to 356º F.
As a result, C210 is a filament with a very long service life that makes 3D printing viable for the production of a wide range of industrial components. In particular, the company sees this filament as a good option for hygienically-sensitive industries, such as the food and pharmaceutical sectors, thanks to C210’s excellent abrasion resistance properties.
While many injection molding plastics are unsuitable for 3D printing, igus claims to have optimized this particular filament for 3D printing by blending it with a solid lubricant. This ensures that the filament can be extruded with minimal friction, making it suitable for just about any type of FDM 3D printer. The filament is also be available in both 1.75 mm and 3 mm diameters. If you’re interested in this industrial strength filament, check out the igus website here for more information.
Posted in 3D Printing Materials
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