Design Notes

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“There are di erent reasons,’’ he said. “A common one is that part of a machine is broken down and needs to be replaced, so it’s imperative to get the machine running again. Other reasons are sourcing methods failed or an expectation of getting individual parts in a few days.”

Igus’ focus on speedy delivery did not begin with FastLine. It previously manufactured molds from aluminum for time-critical developments and later added in print2mold (3D printing). “The advantage of FastLine is that we have a mold that is 100 percent suitable for series production and is not limited in the number of shots in injection molding,’’ Krause said.

In 2014, igus introduced its first 3D-printing filaments, which are made especially for moving applications because of the solid lubricants, Krause said. In 2016, it introduced its first SLS material, iglide i3, and started with its SLS 3D print service. “Since then, our customer interest was constantly growing so that we now have 10 SLS machines worldwide,’’ he said. “We are able to produce special wear parts very quickly in Boston, Shanghai, and Cologne. Last year, we made more than 200,000 special wear parts by 3D printing.”

Igus’ FastLine service was created to meet the needs of manufacturers with high product demand, such as ergoline. Customized parts, such as plain bearings in unique shapes, must be delivered without complications. Injection molding can require several weeks.

“By investing in our toolmaking department with its own production line for round parts with modern CNC technology, we are now able to respond even faster to our customers’ needs,’’ said Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, Business Unit Manager of iglide at igus GmbH. “In addition to our large catalog range of polymer plain bearings, which are available from stock, we can produce customized parts cost-e ectively in just a few days using the appropriate injection molding tool.” DW