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3D print spur gears

Up to 80% more wear-resistant than milled and injection-moulded

3D printed gears made of iglidur® high-performance polymers
What can you expect from an igus® spur gear?

  • Predictable service life
  • Any geometry possible: special shapes and replacement parts
  • Optimised tooth root geometry for longer service life
  • Self-lubricating: dry operation thanks to solid lubricants

Our 3D printing processes, services and materials

Fast online ordering from the 3D printing service: upload spur gear CAD now and find out about prices

► Upload doesn't work? Click here to start the upload directly in the 3D printing service tool.

Next steps

Online CAD configuration of 3D gear pulleys on a laptop screen with a printed pulley and arrow graphic.

Gear CAD configurator

No CAD model at hand? With our gear configurator, you can create a gear model with individual dimensions in less than 60 seconds.

Configure gear CAD
3D-printed gears in different colours show possible post-processing colouring.

Free plastic gear sample

Still not convinced? Why not see for yourself and order a free sample? We will happily send you a free gear sample to try.

order your free gear
Gear lifespan calculator icon showing a stylised gear with a circular arrow and clock hands.

Gear service life calculator

How long does a 3D printed gear last? Enter the parameters of the application and calculate the predicted service life with just a few clicks.

To the service life calculator

Customer application examples

Plastic 3D printed gears in use

Drive unit printed in 3D for a medicine dispenser

JDM Innovation GmbH presents a new medicine dispenser which automatically dispenses medication in individual packets. The drive components consist of a bevel gear and a linear drive - both components are 3D printed which makes it possible to consider dispensers with small installation space. In addition, 3D printing makes it possible to mass-produce the dispensers and ensures a maintenance-free service life beyond five years.

Gear printed in 3D for astrophotography

A revolving device, together with a camera and telescope, has to compensate for the earth's rotation in order to take long-exposure photos of celestial bodies. The gear wheels for the transmission come from the 3D printer. The tribofilament iglidur I150 ensures a precise and stable rotation of the device. In addition, the design freedom offered by 3D printing made producing the parts simple and quick. The whole thing is controlled with a touchscreen on the outside.

Gears printed in 3D for water cannons on a fire engine

For repair of the roof-mounted cannons of airport fire engines, the on-site fire brigade at Fraport AG needed individual gears that could withstand the high loads. As a manufacturing method, 3D printing makes it possible to produce individual and special parts cost-effectively and quickly. Specially developed for demanding applications in machines, iglidur® plastic gears contain solid lubricants that make them more durable and reduce maintenance work/expenditure.

Improved tolerances for a 3D printed gear in a floating illusion

For a special kind of shop window, the customer needed a gear with good tolerances. The idea was to create the illusion of floating objects with the help of two linear movements and a rotation. The original gear had tolerances of 0.2mm, which led to vibrations and jerky "floating". A gear made of iglidur i3, manufactured in selective laser sintering, improved tolerances by 0.1mm. With noticeable changes in the application, the illusion can be maintained.

Vintage spare parts from the 3D printer

Finding spare parts for vintage cars and rare models today is difficult, if not impossible. When a shaft with a worm gear and toothed gear in the mileage counter of the speedometer wore, the owner of a Stanley 750B from 1924 could rely on the online 3D printing service from igus. Due to the abrasion-resistant SLS polymer iglidur I6, a fully functioning spare part was made via laser sintering.

Ten times more cost-effective than usual - replacement gear for tractor

The igus cleaning team tractor was defective for a year as a gear was worn out. The gear made of regular plastic was part of the tractor's starter mechanism, and had broken due to the high load when the engine was started. Shortly before the utility vehicle was scrapped, the 3D printing team came into play and was able to trace the gear and print it within a matter of hours. The tractor is now working perfectly. The gear was made of iglidur I3, and combines a high wear resistance with good mechanical properties. The SLS powder can be processed very precisely, allowing for an exact copy of the complex spindle geometry in the gear's interior.

Gear made of iglidur I6 for an electric car charging system

Easelink, a company from Graz, has developed "Matrix Charging", a charging system that automatically connects the underside of parked electric cars with the power supply. To design the system to be both economical and high-quality, the designers have chosen gear prototypes made of iglidur polymers with additive manufacturing. The igus 3D printing service allowed sample components to be quickly ordered, tested and adjusted until the ideal solution was reached. The particularly wear-resistant and self-lubricating SLS powder iglidur I6 is ideal for the construction of gears, pinions and other highly stressed components, which usually have to be regularly lubricated, maintained and frequently replaced.

Polymer pinion for engine tuning

The Formula Student Team from Weingarten near Ravensburg needed, amongst other things, customised polymer pinions to construct their racing cars. The pinions were used as chain tensioners in the chain drive, so they had to be especially robust. The igus 3D printing service allowed polymer pinions to be delivered and tested in less than 72 hours. The material used was iglidur I6, which is especially wear-resistant - it was still fully functional after one million cycles in laboratory tests. In this case, the special parts from additive manufacturing were not only available much faster, but were more robust and economical.

Polymer sprockets made with additive manufacturing for quiet e-bikes

Tough, wear-resistant, lubrication-free: polymer beats metal
For constructing e-bikes it is especially important that the components used are light and quiet.  Lars Hartmann from the VMA Getzmann GmbH, which produces stirring, dispersing and fine-grinding systems, tested sprockets printed in 3D made of iglidur I3 as replacement for metal sprockets and was enthusiastic: 
 
"The standard metal pinion generates a lot of noise when in use. We drew it and had igus® print it from iglidur® I3. Getting the part was simple and fast. We used the 3D printing service to upload the corresponding data, chose the material and ordered the quantity."

Enhanced performance with replacement gears

The manufacturer was unable to supply spare parts for the worn gears of a planetary gear in an electric bicycle. The customer eventually contacted igus GmbH's 3D printing department. After receiving the worn parts, the department made a drawing of the gears and printed them from iglidur I3. The tribologically optimised material's abrasion resistance now ensures that the e-bike works again flawlessly, and performance has even been enhanced.

3D printing service design guide

3D printing design guide brochure in an open mockup with a red and white cover.

Design guide for components manufactured via the 3D printing service, including practical tips that help extend service life.

Guidelines for 3D printed gears

Brochure mockup about 3D printing and polymer gears with open pages.

In these guidelines, you can find out everything about the three most common mistakes made when printing gears in 3D, and how to avoid them.