IGUS Style Linear Bearing Replicas

thingiverse

These are files for a prototype 3D printable replica of the commercial IGUS brand RJM-01-08 8mm plastic linear bearings / bushings. They are still a work in progress and have undergone one successful prototype run with an 8mm hole version in bridge nylon, but they were found to be slightly too tight. However, reports suggest that PLA might work well, although there is also the risk of sticking due to its high coefficient of friction. A material with low friction properties is best suited for this purpose. IGUS has recently developed an iglide tribo filament specifically designed for this application, which would likely yield excellent results. I have obtained a sample pack of the IGUS Tribo filament and will be printing some soon. The files can be found at http://www.igus.com/wpck/11723/N14_4_1_iglidur_TriboFilament?C=US&L=en. I used SolidWorks to create an 8.1 and 8.2 inside diameter hole instead of the standard 8mm, which resulted in a successful print in PLA with 8.1 ID. Each printer may have varying levels of accuracy. These bearings were designed as an experiment in developing a lower-cost bearing solution for my home-built LulzBot Mini project. Currently, six prototypes are working well underneath the build plate for the Y-axis. You can view discussions on the LulzBot forum or visit my blog (located through my profile) to learn more about this project. I have also designed modified LulzBot Mini parts that utilize LM8UU ball bearings instead of the original design. These files will be uploaded as a new "thing" soon. Additionally, I have uploaded 8.1 and 8.2 files with filleted/beveled edges removed to increase surface area on the printer bed. The Igus iglide tribo filament tends to print slightly larger (0.3mm) in all directions. To accommodate this, a Tribo-adjusted STL file has been created for printing with the white I180 iglide filament. However, the yellow J260 tribo filament was found to be too finicky to work with. A note is also provided for users unfamiliar with the topic: RJM-01-08 size bearings are not interchangeable with LM8UU bearings due to a slight difference in diameter (16mm vs 15mm). This may seem insignificant, but it can make a significant difference when used on a 3D printer.