Wear-resistant polymers: 3D-printed
components in the tribology test lab

Low-friction parts proven to last up to 50 times longer than standard 3D-printing materials

igus® continuously tests the tribological properties of its 3D-printed parts based on DIN ISO 7148-2 inside our 41,000-square-foot lab in Cologne, Germany. We cover linear, pivoting and rotary movements on different types of shafts to ensure that our self-lubricating iglide® materials will last up to 50 times longer than standard 3D-printing materials inside moving applications. Our iglide® J260-PF filament, for example, exhibited low friction and low wear values in all tests.

The standard ABS material quickly failed the rotary test on a stainless-steel shaft. Additionally, our 3D-printed plain bearings made of iglide® special filament had similar wear rates to standard injection-molded parts on all test rigs. All igus® 3D-printed components are low-friction, wear-resistant and maintenance-free. We produce printed parts for prototypes and small batches, no minimum order quantity required!

Download the PDF version of these test results

View our various wear tests below:

» Wear test: linear long stroke
» Wear test: linear short stroke
» Wear test: pivoting
» Wear test: pivoting heavy load
» Wear test: pivoting under water
» Wear test: drive nut
» Friction test: rotating
» Wear test: rotating
» Wear test: rotating under water
» Gear test: cycles until gear breakage
» Worm gears with optimized sliding properties
» Low abrasive friction

Wear test: linear long stroke

iglide® I3 beats ABS material by factor 33

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 0.11 MPa
Surface speed: 0.34 m/s
Stroke: 370 mm
Shaft materials: alu hc
Duration: 3 weeks

Y = wear rate [μm/km]

1. ABS (FDM)
2. iglide® I180 (FDM)
3. iglide® I3 (SLS)
4. iglide® J injection-molded

Abrasive wear of linear sliding bushes after test

Test result:
The long stroke test shows a lower coefficient of wear by factor 15 for iglide® I180 (FDM) and by factor 33 for iglide® I3 (SLS). These materials are ideal for long-stroke applications, such as XY gantries for pick-and-place applications, plain bearings, and guide bars in a 3D printer.

Wear test: linear short stroke

Tribological properties of 3D-printed plain bearings almost identical to injection-molded ones

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 1 MPa
Surface speed: 0.3 m/s
Stroke: 5mm
Shaft materials: CF53 (left bar) and 304 SS (right bar)
Duration: 1 week

Y = wear rate [μm/km]

1. ABS (FDM)
2. iglide® J260 (FDM)
3. iglide® J260 (injection molding)

Test result:
Injection-molded plain bearings and 3D-printed plain bearings made of iglide® J260 were tested with the same load and surface speed. The bearings have similar wear rates, regardless of manufacturing method. The test also shows that our material’s coefficient of friction and wear rates are much lower than standard ABS materials.

Bearings made of 3D printed sliding polymers are attractive because their service life is much higher than that of components 3D printed from other plastics, and exhibit a coefficient of wear that is at least as low as turned parts

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 1 MPa
Surface speed: 0.1 m/s

Shaft materials:
■ CF531.1213: hardened steel
■ 304 SS/AISI 304: stainless steel

X-axis: material testing

1. iglide® I3 (SLS 3D printing)
2. iglide® I150 (FDM 3D printing)
3. iglide® I190 (FDM 3D printing)
4. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
5. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
6. PA66 (injection molding)
7. POM (lathed)
8. PA66 (lathed)

iglide polymers for 3D printing in testing

Y axis: wear rate [mg/km] (a lower wear rate means a longer service life)

Wear test: pivoting

Up to 50 times higher abrasion resistance thanks to iglide® polymers

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 20 MPa
Surface speed: 0.01 m/s
Pivoting angle: 60°
Shaft materials: 304 SS
Duration: 4 weeks

Y= wear rate [µm/km]

1. PA12 (SLS)
2. PA12 + glass balls (SLS)
3. iglide® I3 (SLS)
4. iglide® W300 injection-molded

Abrasive wear of plain bearings in the swivelling wear test

Test result:

The swivel test shows that iglide® filaments are 50 times more abrasion resistant and offer a much longer service life than standard 3D-printing materials (e.g. ABS).

In the swivel test, bearings made of 3D printed sliding polymers exhibit a service life several times that of other plastics, regardless of the manufacturing process

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 2 MPa
Surface speed: 0.01 m/s
Pivoting angle 60°

Shaft materials:
■ CF531.1213: hardened steel
■ 304 SS/AISI 304: stainless steel

Y axis: wear rate [mg/km] (a lower wear rate means a longer service life)

Wear test: pivoting heavy load

Comparable tribological properties of 3D-printed and injection-molded plain bearings

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 10, 20 and 45MPa
Surface speed: 0.01m/s
Pivoting angle: 60°
Duration: 1 week

Y= wear rate [µm/km]

1. iglide® I3 (SLS)
2. iglide® I180 (FDM)
3. iglide® G injection-molded
4. iglide® W300 injection-molded

Wear-resistant polymer in swivelling heavy load wear test

Test result:
We tested plain bearings with a diameter and length of 20mm (i.e., the 3D-printed plain bearing was loaded with 1,800kg). The results show SLS 3D-printed plain bearings can withstand loads of up to 45MPa surface pressure and that their tribological properties are just as good as injection-molded bearings, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications.

Wear test: pivoting under water

Wear rate comparison of iglide® materials for 3D printing and injection molding in underwater applications

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 1 and 2MPa
Surface speed: 0.01m/s
Temperature: 23°C
Shaft material: 304 stainless steel

X-axis: material testing

1. iglide® I3 (SLS 3D printing)
2. iglide® I8-ESD (SLS 3D printing)
3. iglide® J (injection molding)
4. iglide® UW (injection molding)
5. iglide® UW160 (injection molding)

Wear test for 3D printed materials under water

Y-axis: wear rate [µm/km]

Test result:
This underwater pivot test showed that plain bearings 3D printed from electrostatically dissipative iglide® I8-ESD SLS material have an especially long service life, meaning this material is just as well suited to applications such as the iglide® UW and UW160 injection molding materials, which were specifically developed for underwater applications.
iglide® J is an igus material that is frequently used in dry environments, but is not as well suited to underwater use because its wear rate tends to be high.

Wear test: drive nut

iglide® materials more durable than standard materials by factor 6 to factor 18

Test parameters:

Torque: 129Nm
Stroke: 370mm
Speed: 290 [rpm]
Duration: two weeks

Y = wear rate [mg/km]

1. ABS (FDM)
2. iglide® I180 (FDM)
3. iglide® J260 (FDM)
4. iglide® I3 (SLS)
5. iglide® J injection-molded

Test result:
The test shows that iglide® offers higher wear resistance by factor 6 to factor 18 compared to conventional materials, depending on which 3D-printing material and method are used. Printing drive nuts in low quantities is a cost-effective alternative to injection molding since the thread can be produced directly in the 3D printer without expensive tooling.

Friction test: rotating

iglide® vs. standard ABS material - lower coefficient of friction with iglide®

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 1MPa
Surface speed: 0.1m/s
Shaft material: Cf53

Y = coefficient of friction [-]
X = duration [h]

1. PA12 (SLS)
2. iglide® I3 (SLS)

Abrasive wear in the test: coefficient of friction rotating

Test result:
The tribological properties of iglide® I3 are better than standard 3D-printing materials by factor 2. That’s because iglide® materials contain solid lubricants, which lower the coefficient of friction and significantly increase wear resistance. The tribological properties of iglide® polymers are beneficial for designing motors and drive forces, as half the friction only requires half the drive force.

Wear test: rotating

Coefficient of wear for iglide® 3D printing materials compared to those of regular 3D printing plastics

Test parameter:

Surface pressure: 20 MPa
Surface speed: 0.01 m/s
Shaft material: 304 stainless steel

3D printed plain bearing in rotating wear testing

Y-axis: wear rate [mg/km]

X-axis: material testing

1. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
2. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
3. iglide® I180 (FDM 3D printing)
4. iglide® J260 (FDM 3D printing)
5. iglide® I3 (SLS 3D printing)
6. iglide® W300 (injection molding)

Abrasive wear in testing: rotating wear test

Test result:
Wear for plain bearings printed from iglide® I180 is 89.5% lower than that for bearings manufactured with the same process from ABS plastic, which is often used in 3D printing. The laser sintered bearing made of iglide® I3 exhibited 94.87% less wear than the laser sintered bearing made of PA12. Only bearings printed from the iglide® J260 special filament and injection molded from iglide® W300 had better values.

How long will a 3D printed bearing made of iglide® last in your application? Use our online plain bearing service life calculator to precisely determine service life by entering the necessary requirements.

In the wear test, bearings made of 3D printed sliding polymer perform much better than bearings made of regular plastics, regardless of manufacturing process

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 1 MPa
Surface speed: 0.3 m/s

Shaft materials:
■ CF531.1213: hardened steel
■ 304 SS/AISI 304: stainless steel

X-axis: material testing

1. iglide® I3 (SLS 3D printing)
2. iglide® I190 (FDM 3D printing)
3. PA12 (SLS 3D printing)
4. ABS (FDM 3D printing)
5. PA66 (injection molding)
6. POM (lathed)
7. PA66 (lathed)

Y axis: wear rate [mg/km] (a lower wear rate means a longer service life)

Wear test: rotating under water

Wear rate comparison of iglide® materials for 3D printing and injection molding in underwater applications

Test parameters:

Surface pressure: 1 and 2MPa
Surface speed: 0.3 m/s
Temperature: 23°C
Shaft material: 304 stainless steel

Y-axis: wear rate [µm/km]

Gear test: cycles until gear breakage

Test parameters:
pivoting 1440°:
n = 64rpm
M = 2.25Nm
z= 30
m= 1
b = 6mm

In this test, a gear drives a rack, and the number of cycles completed before the gear breaks is recorded. Gears 3D printed or laser sintered from iglide® lasted twice as long as gears milled from POM.

X-axis: material testing

1. iglide® I3 (printed)
2. iglide® I8-ESD (printed)
3. POM (milled)
4. iglide® I6 (printed)
5. iglide® I190 (printed)
6. PLA (printed)
7. PETG (printed)
8. SLA

Y-axis: cycles until tooth breakage
Except for the gear made of POM, the CAD models for all tested gears come from the igus gear configurator.

Gears made of wear-resistant polymer

POM vs. iglide® I6: downtime at POM, iglide® I6 hardly any abrasive wear

Test parameters:

Torque: 4.9Nm
Speed: 12 [rpm]
Counter partner: hard anodized aluminum
Duration: 2 months

1. POM: 321,000 cycles: High wear
2. POM: 621,000 cycles: downtime
3. iglide® I6: 1 million cycles: low wear

Test result: We tested a variety of 3D-printed and mechanically manufactured polymers in the worm gear test. No other polymer reached as long of a service life as our wear-resistant iglide® I6 material (in SLS 3D printing). Worm gears made of iglide® I6 are also used inside our robolink® robotic arm modular system.

Low abrasive friction due to tribology polymers from the 3D printer

Wear is an important aspect of parts in moving applications. Wear-resistant polymers such as our iglide® materials are the solution for minimising wear and increasing the parts' service life. Due to the tribological properties, the iglide® materials are perfect for all application areas in which good coefficient of friction and very low wear are important.

The igus® test laboratory covers 3,800m². In an extensive series of experiments, igus is researching and developing new 3D printing materials for moving applications in the industry's largest test laboratory. All materials are tested regarding their tribological properties in different test series so as to minimize wear and maintenance intervals. They are particularly low-friction and wear-resistant and ensure a self-lubricating and low-maintenance operation. iglide® polymers offer very good tribological properties and ensure a longer service life for polymer components.

In our test lab, we continuously test tribological properties of 3D printed parts based on DIN ISO 7148-2. The series of tests cover linear, pivoting and rotary movements on different shaft materials. With our filament iglide® J260-PF, friction values and wear were low in all tests, while the standard ABS material quickly failed the rotating test on the stainless steel shaft. The printed plain bearings made from the iglide® special filament had a similar wear resistance to the standard iglide® injection-molded parts on all test rigs. Thanks to the wear-resistant plastic iglide® I3 and an optimized tooth shape, our 3D-printed gears achieve a longer service life than standard materials.

Discuss Your Project with a 3D Expert

Whether you're interested in turnkey, fully assembled solutions or looking to build your own customizable project, let us assist you with a solution based on your specific application and requirements. Contact us via the form below or call us at (800) 521-2747 to discuss your project today!

Contact an Expert

Preston Souza, Product Manager of Startups

Wear-resistant polymers: 3D-printed components in the tribology test lab

Low-friction parts proven to last up to 50 times longer than standard 3D-printing materials

View our various wear tests below:

Wear test: linear long stroke

iglide® I3 beats ABS material by factor 33

Wear test: linear short stroke

Tribological properties of 3D-printed plain bearings almost identical to injection-molded ones

Bearings made of 3D printed sliding polymers are attractive because their service life is much higher than that of components 3D printed from other plastics, and exhibit a coefficient of wear that is at least as low as turned parts

Wear test: pivoting

Up to 50 times higher abrasion resistance thanks to iglide® polymers

In the swivel test, bearings made of 3D printed sliding polymers exhibit a service life several times that of other plastics, regardless of the manufacturing process

Wear test: pivoting heavy load

Comparable tribological properties of 3D-printed and injection-molded plain bearings

Wear test: pivoting under water

Wear rate comparison of iglide® materials for 3D printing and injection molding in underwater applications

Wear test: drive nut

iglide® materials more durable than standard materials by factor 6 to factor 18

Friction test: rotating

iglide® vs. standard ABS material - lower coefficient of friction with iglide®

Wear test: rotating

Coefficient of wear for iglide® 3D printing materials compared to those of regular 3D printing plastics

In the wear test, bearings made of 3D printed sliding polymer perform much better than bearings made of regular plastics, regardless of manufacturing process

Wear test: rotating under water

Wear rate comparison of iglide® materials for 3D printing and injection molding in underwater applications

Gear test: cycles until gear breakage

Gears made of wear-resistant polymer

POM vs. iglide® I6: downtime at POM, iglide® I6 hardly any abrasive wear

Low abrasive friction due to tribology polymers from the 3D printer

Discuss Your Project with a 3D Expert

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Wear-resistant polymers: 3D-printed
components in the tribology test lab