Food-safe 3D printing for abrasion and wear-resistant parts

Food-safe in accordance with the requirements of the FDA and/or EU directive 10/2011
Up to 50 times more abrasion-resistant than commonly used 3D printing plastics
No external lubrication needed thanks to integrated solid lubricants
Replacement parts and special parts for speedy format change can be delivered overnight

* For express orders, please contact us by phone. Orders by phone or online for overnight manufacture must be submitted before 11 a.m. Normal manufacturing time: 1 to 3 business days.

Order abrasion-resistant parts from the 3D printing service or print them yourself

Laser sintering with iglide I6

3D printing, SLS laser sintering, food-safe

Compliant with the food-specific regulations of EU 10/2011
Max. application temperature: +80°C
Extremely abrasion-resistant: e.g. at least 9 times more abrasion-resistant
than PA12 (SLS) in rotation test
Best strength and surfaces of all igus food-safe 3D printing materials

iglide I150: the all-rounder filament

Compliant with food-specific regulations according to EU 10/2011
Can be processed on all regular 3D printers
The most frequently used tribo-filament® with very good mechanical properties (strength, resilience, layer adhesion)

Heat-resistant: iglide A350

3D printing, food-safe and heat-resistant, compliant with FDA regulations

Compliant with food-specific regulations according to EU 10/2011 and the FDA.
Temperature-resistant up to 180°C, fire-retardant according to UL94-V0
Suitable for steam sterilization
High-temperature 3D printer required

On-Demand Plastic Wear Part Services

Browse Standard or Configure Custom Parts with 3D Printing & Machining Services or Injection Molding.

Browse Standard Parts

Upload your CAD file and we will search through our entire product portfolio for you, with the most cost-effective solution for your application.

Browse Custom Parts

Upload your CAD file and compare manufacturing processes and materials according to specifications, price, delivery time and service life.

Laser sintering for compliance with food-specific regulations

Food-safe 3D printing wear values compared with other methods — Rotating wear: p = 1 MPa; v = 0.3m/s

The laser sintering material iglide i6 complies with the food-specific regulations of the FDA and of EU 10/2011 and can therefore be used in numerous applications in the food and beverage industry. Due to the SLS method, special parts, prototypes and volumes can be made in our undefined in quantities from 1 to 10,000 in only 3 days. Out of all the 3D printing materials that are processed by igus and are compliant with food-specific regulations, iglide i6 is chosen the most frequently. This is due to the greater strength, better surface and lower component price.

The component materials of iglide i6 make this high-performance polymer not only especially hygienic but also especially capable of sliding. It is therefore often requested for applications in which an especially low degree of friction is required, for example worm wheels. The SLS powder can be purchased in our shop and processed with all regular laser sintering equipment.

iglide i6 material data sheet (PDF)

Making food-safe components yourself

iglide I150 is the easiest to process tribo-filament® - it is suitable for all commercially available 3D printers and can be processed just as easily as regular filaments such as PLA and PETG. Thanks to compliance with EU 10/2011, iglide I150 is suitable for contact with food and is accordingly proving itself in applications in the food and packaging industry. The only restrictions are in the maximum permanent application temperature of 65°C and for highly dynamic applications. iglide I150 is also available on 8kg filament reels and is therefore suitable for the manufacture of large components in large-scale printers.

iglide I150 material data sheet and approval for use with food

Heat-resistant and food-safe

Food-safe 3D printing: comparison of abrasion — Rotating coefficient of friction, p= 1MPa, v= 0.3m/s Vertical axis: Coefficient of friction [-]

The abrasion-resistant high-temperature tribo-filament® iglide A350 was specially developed for the food and packaging industry. The raw material is compliant with EU 10/2011 and FDA food-contact regulations and is blue all the way through for reasons of detectability. Printed parts made of iglide A350 are temperature-resistant up to 180°C, are flame-retardant in accordance with UL94-V0 and can also be sterilized with hot steam. Due to its high processing temperature of 340-360°C as well as a mandatory build chamber temperature of min. 160°C, a high-temperature 3D printer is required for processing. If no such a printer is available for use, wear-resistant parts made of iglide A350 can be manufactured quickly and cost-effectively in the igus undefined.

Shop iglide A350

iglide A350 material data sheet and FDA declaration of conformity

Further solutions for food contact

Knife edge rollers, guide rollers, food-safe

Food-safe guide rollers

Knife edge rollers are used as guide rollers in conveyor belts, for example. The new material iglide A250 was specifically developed for use in knife edge rollers for the food industry and is FDA and EU10/2011 compliant.

Sleeve bearings with flange for food contact

The iglide A181 material is compliant with FDA regulations and also conforms with 10/2011 EU. The blue color also facilitates the often required 'optical detectability' in the food industry. Plain bearings made of iglide A181 are available with or without flange.

More about food-safe flanged bushings

Low-friction liner for food contact

The tribotape® liner is designed for the versatile lining of tribologically challenged surfaces and shapes, for optimizing movement within machine beds, etc. At a thickness of only 0.5 - 1mm (including the adhesive tape + 0.15mm), very little space is needed. The tape is easily fabricated - simply cut with a pair of scissors - and the optional self-adhesive liner tapes give almost unlimited possibilities. The liner is food-safe in accordance with FDA requirements.

More about the food-safe liner

Energy chain, cable guide, food-compliant, FDA

Energy chain developed according to hygienic design guidelines

The easy-to-clean TH3 energy chain for cables is FDA-compliant and is blue, which is the typical color for plastic elements used in the food industry. It is especially resistant to aggressive cleaning agents and chemicals, which makes it ideal for use in the food and beverages industry.

Polymer machine parts for contact with food

Further plastic solutions for food contact

In order to comply with the strict requirements regarding food hygiene and food safety in all stages of a process, igus supplies you with a large range of polymer solutions for food-processing machines and equipment. We supply different kinds of bearings, energy chains, cables, linear guides, lead screw guides as well as bar stock and 3D printing materials for the tool-free manufacture of special parts. As our machine components have been specially developed for moving applications and do not require any lubrication, product contamination is ruled out completely.