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Precise and resilient bearing technology for 3D printers at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences

Faculty of Technology and Bionics relies on lubrication-free drylin lead screw drives and iglidur plain bearings

Quality management is increasingly becoming the focus of the industry as early as the concept and design phase of new products. Rapid prototyping has proven to be an important tool for identifying optimisation potential at an early stage of development. The 3D printer has created a manufacturing technology that makes it possible to produce scaled product prototypes quickly and cost-effectively. A 3D printer was built as part of a student project at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences to replicate this quality management process in the concept phase of products. Goal: Cost-effective, modular components that are as lubrication-free as possible. The faculty finally decided in favour of the use of maintenance-free iglidur plain bearings and drylin linear bearings.

Profile

What was needed: iglidur J plain bearing, dryspin lead screw drive
Requirements: High dynamic load capacity, precision, wear resistance and no lubricant in the print bed area
Industry: 3D printing
Success for the customer: With just a few components, a wear-resistant and durable 3D printing mechanism was created.

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3D printer with dryspin components

With just a few components, the faculty was able to build a cost-effective, precise and durable 3D printer.

Problem

At Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve, students at the Faculty of Technology and Bionics experience how rapid prototyping is used to optimise product solutions in the early development phase. To do this, they need a 3D printing mechanism that is compatible with the open source offerings available on the market. For cost reasons, the 3D printer should also be built as independently as possible and as far as possible without ready-made components. This meant that we had to design our own linear guides that meet the special requirements of 3D printers. These requirements include dynamic load capacity, precision, wear resistance and the elimination of lubricants in the print bed area to prevent contamination of the filament.

Solution

The 3D printer, designed in a minimalist style for university purposes with a focus on the actual printing mechanism, could be built with just a few components. The most effective solution for the faculty was iglidur J plain bearings and lead screw drives from the drylin product family.
In addition to being lubrication-free, the systems are also highly resilient, precise and wear-resistant, making them suitable for long-term use. In the student project, the planned construction could be realised quickly and successfully.
The design also makes it easy to modify the mechanics at a later date and to replace individual components if they are damaged.

Find out more about iglidur plain bearings

Learn more about dryspin lead screw technology

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