igus presents blue SLS 3D printing material with food safety certification

iglidur i6-BLUE is a new powder for 3D printing in selective laser sintering (SLS) technology created by igus – a German manufacturer of high-performance industrial polymers. The material is extremely abrasion-resistant, lubrication-free and food-safe in accordance with FDA and EU 10/2011 regulations.

igus claims that the new material increases the safety of machines and systems in the food and beverage industry. iglidur i6-BLUE is in no way inferior to the proven iglidur i6 in terms of strength and sliding properties and is particularly suitable for 3D printing of worm gears, gear wheels and click joints.

According to the manufacturer, more and more engineers and designers expect blue materials for 3D printing due to the fact that 3D prints made of it are clearly visible, which increases food safety. If a 3D-printed component is damaged, the blue fragments in the product are easily visible and can be quickly identified with detectors. The problem is that for the selective laser sintering process, there are still very few blue 3D printing materials on the market that are both robust and food-safe.

“To meet the high demand, we developed the iglidur i6-BLUE, which is compatible with all common 3D printing systems for laser sintering,” says Monika Gawryś, additive manufacturing manager at igus Polska. “The blue high-performance polymer is easy to detect and suitable for food applications. Unlike conventionally produced laser-sintered parts, iglidur i6-BLUE complies with the hygienic guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EU Regulation 10/2011.”

Thanks to its special material composition, iglidur i6-BLUE is also robust and wear-resistant and has excellent sliding properties, which makes it particularly suitable for 3D printing of worm and gear drives for machinery in the food and beverage industry. The material is resistant to temperatures from -40°C to +80°C. “Tests in our in-house lab have also shown that 3D printed gears made of iglidur i6-BLUE have a much longer service life than those milled from polyoxymethylene (POM) and at least nine times more abrasion resistant than PA12 (SLS),” he says Gawryś.

Due to the high elongation at break, the material is also suitable for the additive manufacturing of snap joints. In addition, iglidur i6-BLUE increases the hygiene of machines for the food and beverage industry. Microscopic solid lubricants are integrated into the material and released automatically during movement, allowing dry running with low friction. This eliminates the need for lubricants, which attract dust and dirt and can pose a risk of contamination.

Machine builders who do not have their own SLS 3D printer can use the igus 3D printing service – no minimum order quantity. “For special components, prototypes and series of up to 10,000 pieces, we can reduce the delivery time from a few weeks to five days,” says Gawryś.

Source: igus press materials