igumid P190 can be used for multi-material printing as well as highly stable structural components
The motion plastics specialist igus has developed igumid P190, a new filament for 3D printing that is extremely stiff and strong thanks to its reinforcement with carbon fibre. This makes it suitable for structural components and special connecting elements for energy chains as well as for 2-component 3D printing in combination with iglidur i190. igumid P190 is available as a filament for self-printing and soon also in the online 3D printing service from igus.
Since 2020, the plastics specialist igus has been offering 2-component 3D printing (2K), which makes it easy to combine different material properties. This is also the idea behind the new, fibre-reinforced filament igumid P190, which was specially developed as a material partner for the tribofilament iglidur i190. iglidur i190 is characterised by its high wear resistance and excellent service life thanks to the solid lubricants incorporated in the material. Its abrasion resistance is up to 50 times better than regular 3D printing filaments. The new, fibre-reinforced igumid P190, on the other hand, offers twice the strength and five times the stiffness of the iglidur material. "With the help of multi-material printing, these two filaments can be combined in a single manufacturing step to create a highly stable and at the same time friction-optimised component," explains Tom Krause, Head of Additive Manufacturing at igus. The 2K printers work with the "Fused Deposition Modelling" (FDM) process. In this process, both plastics are each melted in a separate pressure nozzle and built up layer by layer to form a workpiece. "Both filaments have a very good material bond together. Therefore, they are ideally suited for multi-material printing," Tom Krause makes clear. 2K components are used in grippers, for example, so that they have a body that is resistant to bending and at the same time flexible gripping surfaces for a secure grip.
Stable, light, proven
The high strength of the material also ensures that less material is required. The filament has a low density of 1.25 g/cm³. Thus, igumid P190 can also be used for lightweight construction. Moreover, in additive manufacturing, it usually takes only a few hours from printing to the functional individual part. Light weight, high strength, quick availability and the flexible implementation in printing also make igumid P190 interesting for the production of precisely fitting special connection elements for energy chains. The individual solutions have the great advantage, for example, that energy chains can be installed in a more space-saving way. In addition, the filament has similar material properties to those of injection-moulded energy chains and, thanks to its strength, can also withstand tensile and bending loads. Due to its high strength and stiffness, igumid P190 is also suitable for the production of stable structural components. Tests according to DIN EN ISO 178 in igus' in-house 3,800 sqm laboratory have shown that the filament has an enormous bending strength of up to 237 MPa and a bending E-modulus of 11.5 GPa (printed flat, pressure lines aligned according to optimum strength, filling direction optimised) thanks to fibre reinforcement.
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