The bicycle has in recent years developed from a mere commodity to a weight-optimised lifestyle apparatus. Last but not least, electrification has contributed significantly to this trend. Here, the customers want a quiet operation. For this purpose, both the drives and the installed components must be optimised accordingly. With 3D print, igus offers the ideal solution for printing custom-made drive elements such as sprockets made of high-performance plastics. The custom-made solutions are not only lubrication-free and maintenance-free, but also lower the noise level at the same time.

The growth rates for the sale of e-bikes have been high for years; 605,000 e-bikes were sold in Germany alone in 2016, an increase of 13 percent. Permanent advancements are essential for a drive manufacturer to grow in the market. Therefore, the motors for the e-bike model year 2018 are about 25 percent smaller than their predecessors, with a weight of about three kilos and much less noise while riding. E-bike tinkerers like Lars Hartmann from Reichshof are not satisfied with that. For him, the excessive noise of the bicycle chain was unacceptable. A metal sprocket acted as a guide roller on the chain, so that it does not collide with the frame. However, the metal sprocket caused a loud noise during operation.

Looking for a solution, Lars Hartmann turned to the 3D printing service of igus. He sent the CAD data of the sprocket to igus and received the custom-made solution within a few days. The perfect solution for the hobbyist: "The standard metal pinion generates a lot of noise when in use. I drew it and had it printed by igus from iglidur I3", explains the inventor. "The way to the part was easy and fast. With the 3D printing service, the appropriate data could be uploaded as a STEP file, the material selected and the desired quantity ordered." The sprockets have been in use for two months in two bikes - and the noise level is distinctly minimised, Hartmann is pleased.

The material used was iglidur I3, it is also suitable for industrial and small batch use. It impresses with its good coefficients of wear and high strength and is processed by selective laser sintering (SLS). In addition, the manufactured parts can be used directly. In the test laboratory at igus, plain bearings made from the material have been compared with common materials for selective laser sintering. Both in pivoting, rotating and linear motion, the parts were at least three times more abrasion-resistant than the standard materials.