The new material is up to 50 times more abrasion-resistant than conventional 3D printed materials

East Providence, RI - May 14, 2014 - Plastics expert igus has introduced the world's first plastic filament for 3D printers enhanced with tribological, or low friction, properties. The material, 50 times more resistant to wear and abrasion than conventional 3D printer materials, is ideally suited for creating custom bearings.

igus has been researching filaments for 3D printers in order to provide customers with more flexibility in their design ideas. Now, for example, customers can design custom parts or manufacture prototypes, while still being able to rely on the dependable, tested service life of igus plastic materials.

This exciting new product, which has already completed countless tests in the igus test lab, is the first filament for 3D printers specifically developed for motion control applications. Currently, igus carriers 45 different high performance plastics as optional materials available for iglide products, with a further 100 custom materials suited to specific, demanding customer needs. Moving forward, the new filament will give customers more flexibility for the design of their application's bearings, even prototypes can be produced quickly and cost-effectively. igus also offers access to 3D models of igus products in STL format, which can easily be downloaded and used directly as input data for 3D printing.

3D printers as a cutting-edge technology

3D printers are able to print full-size, three-dimensional objects. This up and coming technology will be able to reduce the high tooling costs of part production, and waste is eliminated, as only the desired object is printed, for additional production savings. With the proper computer software, any printed component can be customized to the exact shape and size desired, making otherwise impossible-to-find parts available and affordable. For more information on the tribo-filament, or to learn about igus components in the 3D printing industry, please visit our tribo-filament page: http://www.igus.com/3Dfilament.

About igus®
igus® develops industry-leading Energy Chain® cable carriers, Chainflex® continuous-flex cables, DryLin® linear bearings and linear guides, iglide® plastic bushings, and igubal® spherical bearings. These seemingly unrelated products are linked together through a belief in making functionally advanced, yet affordable plastic components and assemblies. With plastic bearing experience since 1964, cable carrier experience since 1971 and continuous-flex cable since 1989, igus provides the right solution from over 80,000 products available from stock. No minimum order required. For more information, contact igus at 1-800-521-2747 or visit www.igus.com.