Processing of thermoplastics with the Vivecube cleanroom 3D printer

The use of high-helix and trapezoidal thread spindles with a high degree of efficiency for all drive axes was the ultimate solution to the problem with regard to the clean room capability of the VIVECube - Clean Precision. This was the only way we found a demonstrably suitable and at the same time cost-efficient solution for low-abrasion linear drives.

Application Overview:

What was needed: A precise and reliable clean room 3D printer for processing thermoplastics
Requirements: absolutely free of lubrication and maintenance, long service life, suitable for clean rooms, no abrasion, cost-effectiveness
Products used: Simple encapsulated stepper motors with coupled dryspin® high helix leadscrews and flanged nuts with wrench flat made of iglide® A180, encapsulated stepper motors with coupled trapezoidal leadscrews and flanged nuts made of iglidur® A180, igus WSX double rail, drylin® W single rails, drylin® R aluminum shafts, igubal® stand and flange bearings, xiros® radial deep groove ball bearings
Success for the customer: Design freedom was gained on all linear guides by using the drylin® bearings with exchangeable sliding foils. This significantly accelerated the design process of the VIVECube – Clean Precision. The sliding foils effectively prevent unwanted particle release and at the same time offer process stability. The use of suitable rail and shaft guides brought additional advantages in the implementation of the system.

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VIVECube – Clean Precision clean room printer 3D

Description of the application. What is the function of the application? Where is the application used?
VIVE-MedTech GmbH develops and produces customizable and user-focused medical products. The product range extends from surgical instruments and catheters to artificial lungs for use during temporary lung replacement therapy. The products have to meet high standards of safety and performance, especially with regard to cleanliness and the cleanliness of foreign matter. This is where VIVE-MedTech uses its own 3D printing production in the clean room: The VIVECube – Clean Precision is a precise and reliable 3D clean room printer for processing thermoplastics.

Description of the application. What is the function of the application? Where is the application used?
VIVE-MedTech GmbH develops and produces customizable and user-focused medical products. The product range extends from surgical instruments and catheters to artificial lungs for use during temporary lung replacement therapy. The products have to meet high standards of safety and performance, especially with regard to cleanliness and the cleanliness of foreign matter. This is where VIVE-MedTech uses its own 3D printing production in the clean room: The VIVECube – Clean Precision is a precise and reliable 3D clean room printer for processing thermoplastics.

What are the usage/environmental conditions like for the end user? What challenges did it have to solve?
The production of medical products places its own demands on the purity and cleanliness of the means of production and auxiliary materials used. The machines must run as far as technically possible without lubrication and at the same time be reliable over the long term. In particular, there were challenges in the implementation of linear drive trains and the choice of materials.

Which igus solutions are used?
Polymer bearings are used at various points in the VIVECube – Clean Precision.

X-axis plain bearing: An igus WSX double rail is used here as the "bridge axis". This offers very good bending stiffness for our application. A self-constructed slide with drylin® fixed and floating bearings as well as liners made of iglidur® A180 runs on the rail.

Y-axis plain bearing: Drylin® W individual rails run parallel on both sides of the bridge axis, on each of which a self-designed carriage with drylin® fixed and floating bearings and sliding foils made of iglidur® A180 are used.

Z-axis plain bearing: Four parallel drylin® R aluminum shafts are used for the robust guidance of the printing platform. The printing platform is guided on the shafts by means of self-constructed carriages with drylin® fixed and floating bearings as well as sliding foils made of iglidur® A180.

X/Y drive train: Simple, encapsulated stepper motors with coupled dryspin® high-helix lead screws are used both on the bridge axis in the X direction and on both parallel individual rails in the Y direction . The carriage of the X-axis and both parallel carriages of the Y-axis are then driven with suitable dryspin® flange nuts with a wrench flat made of iglidur® A180. The high-helix lead screws are each guided at the end using igubal® pedestal and flange bearings.

Z-drive train: Two synchronously running encapsulated stepper motors with coupled trapezoidal thread spindles are also used to raise and lower the printing platform . The pressure platform is driven out of iglidur® A180 using a suitable flange nut.

Filament guide on the print head: A xiros® radial deep groove ball bearing made of xirodur B180 is used as a pressure element on the filament feed of the print head.