Should you be using IGUS polymer bushings?

I feel like igus has been catching way too much flak lately - at their core, they are good bearings, you just have to use them properly.
Classic RMJP polymer bearings www.igus.eu/wpc...
Aluminum cased RJUM bearings www.igus.eu/wpc...
W-series rail systems www.igus.eu/wpc...
Product links are affiliate links - I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you)
🎥 All my video gear toms3d.org/my-... is Kasger - Out Here [NCS Release]
• Kasger - Out Here | Dn...
🎧 Check out the Meltzone Podcast (with CNC Kitchen)! / @themeltzone
👐 Enjoying the videos? Support my work on Patreon! / toms3dp

[@webza]

I have had great success with PLA printed bushings (IGUS style). What I have found to work great is to take a linear rod - insert the PLA printed bushing (this might be a very tight fit). Then heat the one end of the rod - I use the stoves gas flame. Then move the bushing up and down the rod - the heat will melt the PLA and it will size itself perfectly to the rod. No slop, perfect fit, super smooth.

[@jaytaylor6857]

Antonie Kriek You could order some dry line filament from IGUS and get the tolerances spot on for your rails. They were meant to send me a roll and I never pestered them, I will tomorrow tho! 😂 Tom had some infront of him, thought he would of mentioned it. Maybe I missed it!?

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

I have better luck chucking up a linear rod in my drill and spinning it at full speed in one spot on the rod to heat up from friction while holding onto the bearing. After a minute for igus bearings, less for PLA it will heat up, you will feel a slight bit more of a drag for a few seconds and then it will instantly become easy to move, then you can stop spinning and it will now slide up and down the rail with zero friction.

[@t1mmy13]

4 years on, how's wear?

[@webza]

@@t1mmy13 no issues still running the exact same setup, same parts everything. Only parts I ever replace is PTFE tube and nozzle.

[@callardo1]

@@webza do you need to print them as inserts or could you implement them directly in your carriage?

[@nolinchitnis]

Hi this is an interesting topic. I run my own firm Nolin CAD and we have been designing industrial machines including CNC machines for 8 years and before that I was working as a machine designer for 15 years. What I found out is the tolerance requirements for IGUS bearings are lot higher than linear ball bearings (THK, Hiwin etc). And they seem to work well only when IGUS rods are used. With other shafts they either have more clearance and play than desirable or run too tight thus reducing life of the bearings which are not so robust. On the other hand with normal linear ball bushings (LM8 etc) variations in shaft diameter can be bit more acceptable. This is my observation and might not be necessarily true.

[@arminjahr7006]

Thanks for the helpful overview, Tom. Your videos are great. One of the Igus savings is weight. The linear bearings in my carriage weighed 9.25 g each -v- the Igus ones at 2 g each. Replacing the steel rods (271 g) with carbon fiber (24 g) resulted in a tighter fit with the Igus bearing and a substantial reduction in mass (from 308 g to 34 g total). I also switched to a Bowden setup (carriage mass from 271 g to 77 g). I've been quite astonished with the improvement in print quality. The result is a quieter, smoother machine that runs at higher speeds without ringing. Thanks, too, for the tips on the SilentStepper drivers. The steppers are practically silent!

[@jeffbeck6501]

I can't believe you only have 38000 subscribers. The info in your videos goes all the way down to the reasons for your engineering decisions and choices of what parts to use, why, what bad things can happen, how that can affect you, etc. Thank you so much because I think you saved me a lot of money. After watching your video, I do not need or even want the caged ball bearings which will save me a ton of money where I am, and really, I think I want polymer bushings for the reduced noise, and increased speed. Thanks for your informative videos that saved me money, time, frustration, etc. I think you need to replace your youtube picture because it does not look like you, and for a second I thought this was a repost of one of your videos when I looked at the pic.

[@alumunum]

Well i've watched at least 50 of his videos but never subscribed. Subscribed now.

[@OU81TWO]

None of these tech channels have very many subscribers. Its too much of a niche market. Don't forget that the masses are also mostly dumb folk and can't understand this stuff anyway let alone have an interest in it. They prefer to be entertained by mindless prank, gaming, beauty, and kids toys unboxing channels.

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

233k subs now. Looks like the printing community has caught on. Not as charming as Makers Muse, nor as fun and varied as Rclifeon but this channel is by far the best source of all the information I need, and information I didn't know I needed.

[@hardwareful]

Igus offers a variety of bushing materials optmized for different shaft surfaces. When you put two or more on the same rail, it may even matter where the injection point from their production process is - if you're really going for longevity. Other things to consider: even though they're made to run dry, they can also be lubricated, decreasing their wear/km and surprisingly their play may be intentional to cover the advertised operating temperature range ( a solid rod may just expand outward, a zylindrical ring may do so too but will exhibit a certain wall thickness above which the ID will shrink as it heats up, seizing on the shaft).

[@dickeyseamus]

My printer came with bearings that seemed to have worn very quickly (they were probably never lubed), replaced them with drylin and it's like a whole new printer. Smoother, quieter, less vibration. The only pain was cutting them to size.

[@anekroth]

After watching your video I promptly went the the IGUS web site and bought four of the 10mm ID aluminum cased RJUM bearings (RJUM-01-10). They arrived today and I must say that they are excellent. The steel ball linear bearings that I was using have a subtle vibration to them as they slide across the steel rod, whereas these polymer bearings are nice and smooth. I am extremely pleased with these polymer bearings and I want to say thank you for bringing them to my attention.

[@fpvm4k3r]

After 4 years of use on my taz 5 the igus bearings had a significant amount of slop especially in the x and y axis. Replaced them with the high precision (grey colored) version RJ4JP with very good results in reducing print artifacts (compared to old ones with slop)

[@Rippthrough]

I split the IGUS bearings along one of the slots with a hacksaw and then it's much easier to set a slight preload on them even with clip-in housings such as on the Replicator clones, work just the same as any other split bushing/bearing then.

[@Andrewatnanz]

The reason I like your videos: you sound like an engineer.

[@MehmetSelmanTamer]

I want to see the webshop with prices not "price upon request!" I hate the idea of "price upon request". I don't know if they are trying to charge me extra or is it just regular price. maybe they will not like my name and charge extra 100%. who knows.

[@namAehT]

As far as I can tell they only do that for low volume items, but I agree that they should still list the prices for them.

[@Dezdogohund]

Don't know if it's changed but igus don't have a minimum quantity in the UK and they show prices right on their site

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

It's a rare asshole who would go that far as to charge extra. But it doesn't hurt to send in a request and find out. I however am not thrilled to give every company I want to price out an item for my email so they can just spam me forever. I do have a junk mail email I use for things like that however.

[@Brute4rce1111]

I completely agree! It's such a hassle and waste of time to have to find out when they could just simply list it on their damn website. I swear these companies could be selling A LOT more and be making more if they would themselves easily accessible to normal everyday people. Oh yeah and don't get me started on the fill out form with required feilds like "business id number" "company name" blah blah...Its like HELLO! YOU DO WANT TO MAKE MONEY RIGHHHT?!? SO SELL TO ME!!!

[@Chlorate299]

Igus have changed that now, however this is because companies like that generally aren't interested in selling odd ones and twos to individuals - try SKF, INA, or Trelleborg and you'll find much the same thing. Their business model is selling hundreds or thousands of them to retailers or OEMs.

[@martinmajewski]

I will try the "non-aluminium covered" polymer bearings on the Prusa i3 MK2. Even if there is some play, it cannot be much worse then the bad ball bearings coming with the MK2. I had solely nylon wheel based linear systems before and I am shocked of the noise the ball bearings on the MK2 produce. So I hope the printer gets quieter. Currently the bed is not only sitting loose on the shafts with the LM8UUs, but it is also incredibly loud. Edit: Okay, I followed Thomas' advice and ordered the RJUM-01 aluminium enclosed bushings... They are really much more expensive, but maybe it is better to pay more onetime, than paying less multiple times... I will do a comparison video of the impact of the bushings on the Prusa i3 MK2 as soon as I have them mounted. Next week I should have a second MK2 available, so I can do a simultaneous side by side comparison.

[@Shadowcruise99]

So I'm curious Martin, What has your experience been with the RJUM-01 aluminium enclosed bushings? Actually the 8mm enclosed bearing are the RJZM-01-08s. Nonetheless, I don't see a followup from you and would like to know what you're experience has been.

[@martinmajewski]

Yeah, the "follow up" takes some time, as I am currently on the finish line of my master thesis and therefore heavily occupied. However, I have released some comments on this topic on my Thingiverse project page (www.thingiverse.com/thing:1848700 and www.thingiverse.com/thing:1837936). Long story short: I like the aluminum enclosed RJZM-01-08 bearings because they do not bend from the zip ties or an outer force as easily as the RJ4JP-01-08. This is particularly the case for the X carriage, where a tighter fit of the ties prevents an easy ride of the extruder. However, the RJ4JP-01-08 are more affordable, have the same diameter as the lm8uu (can be used for the extruder without any modification), and with a little bit extra sensitivity during the mounting process, they do their job perfectly.

[@kentvandervelden]

Interesting topic and explanation. The Taz5 seems to use several of IGUS or IGUS like bearings. For those interested, IGUS has a KZbin channel.

[@CorollaGTSSRX]

EXACTLY what I needed to hear this week! The joys of routine maintenance...

[@BallisticTech]

Wait did he just say "Loose like sleeve of wizard?" Subbed lolz

[@Mr.Titanium1911]

Great video Tom! I opted for the IGUS AVM-08 aluminum (anodized) shafts on all my MK3's axis'. On the Z axis, I installed four RJ4JP-01-08 (15mm) polymer bushings, and six RJZM-01-08 (16mm) on both the X and Y axis (with revised Y bearing holders and X carriage). Yes, some would say that the Z axis doesn't see much action and do not require such an upgrade (less violent travel), but I I'm not one to take shortcuts and the extra $30 on the AVM shafts with polymer bearings gives me peace of mind). My previously MK2s had the factory shafts/LM8UU bearings and after 200 (+-) prints, the X and Y axis shafts were scored (Prusa did indeed replace them free under warranty, BTW). Yes; I had taken the time and great effort to ensure that Y axis shafts ran parallel (within 0.001"), but the shafts took a beating, regardless.

[@chrismofer]

"loose like sleeve of wizard" classic

[@MarioIArguello]

I have used these on some small task dedicated CNC machines that used to cut trim light vacuum formed micro helicopters canopies with a Dremel tool. They are great for speed and service free in a light load machine. I would not recommend these for CNC machines that have to take heavy cuts or have tools that are heavy. They would make a nice option for 3D printers that are also light.

[@kylefutet]

I needed up getting the bushing with the metal housing for a massive printer that I'm building, not because they were our first choice, which they would be after using them, but because we could only get them in the time frame we had, they are amazing, very expensive but worth it if you really need it

[@1234garbageman]

When I was in highschool robotics, IGUS would sponsor the basic kit with aluminum rails and polymer sliders. I'm rebuilding my solidoodle press with them and they are a very nice option for someone with basic tools.

[@Lobesanft]

I meanwhile changed all linear bearings into polymer bushings (8 pieces alltogether) on my witbox 2. Needless to say it became much quieter and higher speeds are now possible without any "ugly" sounds - especially during the fast moving between the actual printing process.

[@neuxstone]

Tom. Polymer grease such as PTFE grease made specifically for these, tradename Thomson "linear lube". Been using it on cnc machines for years and doesn't stain polymer parts yellow and brown like lithium.

[@nophead]

Only had bad experiences with Igus stuff. Got some RJMP bushing that were out of spec. They say they need to be pressed into an H7 hole but mine were smaller than that to start with and had far too much play. When in spec 0.05mm is too much anyway for a 3D printer. Some people print with layers heights less than that. The metal cased ones are 1mm bigger than LMxUU, so not a direct replacement. The aluminium shafts they supply come bent. All their stuff is very expensive as well.

[@bernardo5758]

nophead And what do you think about printed bushings?

[@Cannedraviolicanmakegoodfarts]

6:57 R.I.P smooth rod

[@Cid156]

I am using both of them for industrial machines. I love both of them. The ball bearing is noising and expensive but there is less play. I am not using them on chrome plated rod has there are a lot of pressure between the balls and the rods (however it should be okay for a 3d printer). I am using tempered steel rod. These rods are harder and sligthly larger diameter but the price is very high...Moreover there are two type of ball bearing, medium play and low play For igus bearing, as you told you need to put it in a H7 housing in order to get the correct play even with that there is still more play than de ball bearing. I do not use the same bearing on your video, I am using the plain bearing. Yours look very interesting more my use. I do believe if someone can manufacture a simple aluminum tube for installing these plain berings, we should have a really nice option. These plain bearing are less than 1$ and the outside diameter is small that we can the same diameter with the aluminium tube as the ball bearing. A guy from igus will visit me next week.... if you have questions I can ask him directly. Note that I do not own a 3d printer I do not know the force in the belt neither the precision on the machine (For me the precision on thoses printers seems very poor I do not know yet why there is two lead screws for the z axis... Everything should block except if you have a ton of play everywhere)

[@Bluemchenwiese1]

I switched to the RJ4JP 01-08 on my Mendel90 without any modification to the parts. The bushings are just ziptied in place. I didn't notice any quality change. If you do change to polymer bushings to have a silent printer, you also have to replace the stepper motor drivers. I switched to silent step sticks. Now the fans are the loudest part on my printer.

[@haqnmaq]

You mentioned using the aluminum rails for an h-bot style printer. Igus bushings work well for normal cartesian printers, but once you add any sort of torque perpendicular to the axis, like you get with the Y axis of an h-bot or even a core xy, those polymer bushings lock onto the rail. Even after switching to the aluminum caged Igus bushings and a core-xy setup (to mitigate the racking forces), those bushings will still lock onto the rail with any type of perpendicular force. It's really only a problem with the y axis of an H-bot or core xy, because thats where you get the largest racking forces on the gantry. I have only used them with the standard chrome plated rods, but maybe it's not as bad with the aluminum rods you mentioned.

[@haqnmaq]

Also if the mounts you are using for the igus bushings don't line up perfectly, then they will create too much friction and essentially lock onto the rails. Self aligning bushings will help that, but something to keep in mind when you are designing a mount for the igus bushings.

[@ryankrammes8245]

I have been using the igus bushings on my corexy printer for over a year and have never had any problems like that. They work great.

[@billjames1953]

Thanks, that is very interesting. I am just getting into 3-d printers, but I have about 30 years experience with high end xyz tables on semiconductor tools. This gives me a better look at things. In the semiconductor world, money is not an issue.

[@valcocora5689]

the video got me thinking, was prepared to use an igus wsx-10-40 over some 1700 mm rail length, end to end. out of that, useful trip would be around 1400 mm, centered to the rail. i gave it a quick thought about friction, i read how polymer rails work, but didn't have the luxury of having one to play with. many thanks to tom for the video, might have to rethink my design.

[@kubamiszczz]

brass bushings is perfect ofr 3printer, they are pretty cheap, and no need for additional accesories or rods, it takes some quality in rod aligning as mentioned, but after all very quiet and stable, and in loads as in 3d printer they lives forever

[@WildRoseBuilds]

Can't wait for mine to ship! thanks for all the videos!

[@Paul-gz5dp]

I had to replace the linear bearings on my 3D printer, and found that they were full of rust in less than 6 months. Keeping in mind that high humidity is 20% where I live. Those caged linear bearings are a real pain.

[@markburton5292]

I'm using them in the carriage I am using in my davinci 3d printer for e3d v6 replacement you cant use lmu8 since the shaft isn't hardened. and I have to say I love them in this application they are quieter then the bronze bushings and its more accurate.

[@Bostonbowser]

I tossed some drylins on my wanhao duplicator. Havent tested them yet because my hotend broke, and i cant in good faith recommend taking apart a wanhao, but just installing the bearings i could already tell that theyre an improvement, especially considering that all the balls fell out of one of my lm8uus when i took apart my machine

[@bernielobb719]

I have had them on my Wanhao i3 plus for over 2 years now without any problem

[@trif55]

"lose like sleeve of wizard" amazing :)

[@shadowgolem9158]

Just helped a friend remove these. They had a weird issue where they would print the first cm fine and then it would start to have a Y axis tilt that was nearly 45 deg. Not sure why but putting the stock bearings back in was a instant fix. Tested over several prints and all had same issue. Same prints were flawless with return to the stock ball bearings.

[@drhafez0]

2:47 the rod just disappeared 😂😂 Great video by the way 👍🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@unrealillusion87]

Hi! You mentioned the impossiblity of archiving a H7 hole in the home shop. That is definately not true. Any good sorted hardware/tool shop has a tool called "reamer" in his stock (Reibahle auf Deutsch). You can purchase a H7 reamer for the size of bushing that you want to use und then pre drill a slightly smaller hole. After that you ream the pre drilled hole with the reamer. The result is a H7 tolerated hole with decent surface quality. Check it out.. Its not very hard to do, if you have drill press (which is probably the most common tool).. There are also hand reamers, in case you dont have a good drill press..

[@tcurdt]

I am planing to replace the bearings on a mk2. I got myself some RJ4JP and some RJZM. Unfortunately the RJZM have quite a bit more slop than expected - despite the aluminium casing. Checking with igus that's expected behaviour though. In your video it sounds differently but the RJ4JP have a tighter tolerance than the RJZM. The rep from igus said that the RJ4JP would probably be a better choice for a 3D printer and a press fit is not required. I am still going back on worth whether I should use the igus aluminium rods or keep the steel rods.

[@Kondzio29]

I am building 3Dprinter with linear rods and polymer Igus bushings provided by Igus :) I am participating in Y.E.S program. They are great bearings since lm8uu grinded my rods badly, and igus are smooth as butter

[@CanonFirefly]

Did you install them and test them or only comment on the known pros and cons of the Igus polymer bushings? Would be great to see a head to head between different drop in LM8UU options. Cheap ball bearings, brand name ball bearings, Igus and printed bushings, each printing the same model on the same printer. Comparing noise, play and final printing quality at a few different speeds. This would be very interesting!

[@jaytaylor6857]

Good video Tom. I have been using IGUS W and T for a long time at work. It is good stuff. But, I am now using Hepco. Just food for though. They are like the V rollers on say a CR-10. Difference is they are all metal and I think they are better ( certain applications ) than Hiwin.

[@Nuno.A]

Rexroth...Ina..SKF.. What we mostly use for high precision CNC machines, expensive but top notch material.

[@BearTechTools]

I received a sample 8mm aluminum cased version of the igus bushing. Outer diameter: 16mm instead of lm8u: 15mm. You've got to be kidding me igus. So no direct drop-in replacement.

[@gibsonblogger]

www.igus.eu/wpck/12157/Motek14_N14_6_3_Vollkunststofflager

[@BearTechTools]

These aren't the aluminum cased ones, are they?

[@gibsonblogger]

I was too quick to post. Although its outer diameter is 15 mm like the LM8UU, the RJ4JP does not have an aluminum case and requires a tool to install circlips. Therefore, the RJ4JP is not a "slide it on the rod and you are done" replacement for the LM8UU.

[@jesondag]

What about static friction. With any bushing you have to overcome static friction. That's why ball bearings are used. They give better print quality, because they don't have to overcome static friction, each time they stop or reverse, which gives a brief moment of high acceleration as they start to move.

[@Acoustic_Theory]

See my comment above; I noticed the same thing in my application, where the 'apex' of rounded shapes would be flattened out as the table reverses direction. Not only that, but the bushings were wearing unevenly as the leveling process of the build plate seemed to be causing uneven wear. The IGUS web site tagline says it all, "Cost down, life up", only it seems the "life up" part didn't happen, and I don't want to cheap out - I want performance and a mechanical architecture that doesn't cause loss of fine detail in the print. It's ball bearings for me from now on.

[@AshleyWragg]

How do I fix the problem of the bushings binding as soon as I level the bed of my Anet A8+ (Prusa clone) printer? Thanks

[@Hein223]

Nice videos, I enjoy listening to someone with an engineering background talking about 3D printing. I think if you present or draw a table summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of the different things you are reviewing at the end of the video it would clarify things and be really cool.

[@Lidocain777]

I gave the RJ4JP-01 a try on my printer. Problem is, as you pointed out, they're not encased in metal. Even though they DO work well, they tend to slip a bit because of their material. So, I switched back to the stock LM8UU. Igus encased series seem much better and as a true drop-in replacement for LM8UU in this respect, like RJZM-01 or RJZM-02. I ordered 5 pieces of the latter not that long ago, should be fine.

[@lucassalas1572]

2:26 "Loose like sleeve of wizard" lmfao

[@italosoares69]

Im a bit late here, but the answer to "should i use igus" is "depends".... Do not expect great tolerances using it, but you can expect ridiculously high life. i have assemblied 4 printers using igus to try (i have used the full kit, with rails, bushings and housings), while it worked nice for printing toys, it didnt get the me positioning tolerance on parts i needed (

[@matthewwain9958]

What would you recommend for tightest tolerance. (I'm on a Delta printer)

[@italosoares69]

@@matthewwain9958 To be honest, deltas are not good for tolerances, To get the best possible tolerances for "cheap" i would recomend a cartesian system with linear rails (15mm or thicker) + 0.9º stepper motor for XY, and a screwball for the Z axis (its expensive but extremely worth it). A structure using 30mm+ aluminum extrusion. (I do not recommend coreXY as it introduces a spring effect due the long belts used, they are good for speed and tolerances around 0,2-0,3mm. HBot are even worse)

[@matthewwain9958]

@@italosoares69 thanks. I have an ender 3 v2 that is half upgraded already for slow and true, but I want to get the "reasonable best" out of the delta I just picked up. What bushing would you recommend if not igus?

[@italosoares69]

@@matthewwain9958 misumi are the best, but quite expensive. Maybe those Chinese, just take a good look at the reviews from the supplier and you will probably get a decent one

[@Acoustic_Theory]

Well, I'm ready to remove the IGUS bushings from my Monoprice Maker Select V2 Y-axis (admittedly I bought it used), because not only are all three bushings wearing unevenly, with one feeling quite tight and the others moving but with a grating texture in the motion, and one of them having noticeable side-to-side slop, but even after lubricating with the recommended "Super Lube" synthetic PTFE grease, the natural warp in the stamped steel cradle for the build plate (after leveling) causes unaccepable stiction and binding, leading to resonant "juddering" as the (quite tight) Y-axis belt stretches and the stress is relieved by the platform starting to move. I'm going to LM8UU and grease for my needs, at least until I become smarter and can figure out the dark art of how to apply these bushings 'properly'. I think their implementation in the Maker Select V2 is marginal; they are "pressed in" to split plastic housings that hold them in place but do not compress them.

[@Acoustic_Theory]

I know, "don't use grease with them". I removed the grease but they are still tight and causing binding that flattens out the ends of the part as the table reverses direction, just without the "juddering". In other words, they are going back to having the original problem that led me to try greasing them.

[@MrCrankyface]

Great video, was very interesting learning more about IGUS.

[@djklermundable]

I was hoping you would show is all those parts individually and tell is what they might be best for

[@Panoreth3DPrinting]

2:43 lol that bearing and rod had a mind of its own. :) great vid

[@JayStein777]

I'm glad I came here before I installed my drylin bearings on my chrome rods. I will be ordering the aluminum rods for the bearings.

[@SianaGearz]

How did it work out for you? Did these bearings run better on alurods?

[@JayStein777]

@@SianaGearz They run on Aluminum rods with a special coating from IGUS. You can contact them and they will cut, tap, and dye them for you. I haven't used the rods because I sold the printer I planned to use them on.

[@SebastianHehn]

Tom, Deine Videos sind einfach verdammt gut. Danke.

[@f.d.6667]

Glad you mention noise! ... would be my main reason for an upgrade... great vid BTW.

[@jonjonsson6323]

I do not use any bushings at all on my delta printer, or rather i do, but i printed 12 , then used a drill, a 8mm rod and polished these. I have used pla bjshings for more than two years now, a bit of vaseline on it and no wear and no sound. I mean really No Sound.

[@cmtetaboaco]

I replaced my bearings from my ANET A8 by Drylin bushings and the noise was greatly reduced and the play was gone! I HATE the bearings, never coming back!

[@ryangarrison7088]

Unfortunately those aluminum cased ones are 16 mm outer diameter which is larger than the standard LM8UU outer diameter of 15 mm so it's not necessarily a drop in replacement. Tom, would you be able to review IGUS's RJ4JP bearings? The gray ones? Their website states that they are used for 3D printers, have "japanese dimensions".

[@skumavideo]

RJZM-02-08 are the same size as the lm8uu and are cased.

[@Jonas_Aa]

Someone did not read the datasheet. The preload on the carriages for the N rails lasts quite some time.

[@techdiyer5290]

can you add a video on linear slides for a different type of motion explaining how that is setup and how that works? like extruded beams?

[@steiller]

I was on the Hanover Messe in 2015. There Igus gave me some (all in total 12 and a few more) of these for my printer. Until then I had not fully build mine. Now for more then one year My printer is running fine. If you using steel rods I recommend oiling them. They say you don't need it and you shouldn't but for me it runs better and I have no problem with rusting rods. They work pretty fine. I'm building a new 3d printer from scratch and I'll use Igus Drylin with the aluminium case. I'm pretty curious which improvement these will have on my printing quality.

[@hotburnymustard]

Thanks Tom! Brilliant presentation as always. You answered a lot of my questions as I am searching for a replacement for my sloppy Prusa bearings. Since the IGUS ones need to be preloaded in a metal cylinder, I am guessing they would be too sloppy as a direct LM8UU replacement - a la zip ties. Looks like it means a complete redesign/rebuild for my i3 using HiWin or BWC DualVee type bearings. (or Open rail/Open Beam...a cheaper alternative but less robust than BWC)

[@ZopteY]

Open build has interesting aluminium extrusions for linear guidance

[@Djhg2000]

7:37 NO! Slide drag is NOT dampening, dampening applies an opposite force proportional to the speed while surface friction applies an opposite force proportional to the normal force. On a CoreXY (RepRap i3) style printer that would be a function of the hotend weight, acceleration, current print weight and frame deformation. On a Delta (RepRap Kossel) style printer that would be a function of the hotend weight, acceleration, position and frame deformation. Edit: I did of course mean *surface* friction, not friction in general.

[@aaronbeckman]

Djhg2000 CoreXY is not a reprap i3

[@ExSeaD]

Dampening is when the ability of the system to lose energy. Stuff that causes the system to lose energy, is damping. It does not necessarily have to be proportional to the velocity.

[@hansdietrich83]

No, what you mean is the force that is causing surface friction is opposing the normal force. Dampening is still just opposing a moving system

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

Thomas, I'm still staying tuned for the comment about combining IGUS with a chromed rod. Where can I find the info? It's not in the video :)

[@dougwilson1656]

I understand they recommend some surface texture on the rod for the IGUS polymer to mate with. I'm not sure it matters much unless the bearing is at a high rpm. I'd like to hear more from Tom about the IGUS 3D filament available.

[@TheDvdspeler]

So why not chromed shafts? Did I miss something? mine run really heavy, i have the yellow-ish ones

[@adriansue8955]

So basically.... all the sellers claiming these IGus bearings are a 'drop in' replacement, are scammers. because the clips for the old lm8uu don't have the precision interference fit to properly pre-load the IGUS. bottom line, stay with lm8uu, my printer isn't compatible with the polymer

[@john-paulhopman318]

Thanks for the link to the discussed this bushings (?), made it a lot easier to price upgrades. Though at $10 per replacement, I think I will stick with the Chinese lm8uu's.

[@m0gga]

Hi Tom, another informative video as always, thanks for sharing. Do you know if the igus polymer bushes would be a drop-in replacement for the aluminium LM8UU bearing block bearings? Thanks.

[@rklauco]

Thanks, I didn't know about the aluminium enclosed ones...

[@FrankyieFrank]

I would like to add one possible problem with the IGUS bearings. I assume you shouldn't use these bearings near a heat source like the printer head. I think bearings would lock up because of the thermal expansion. Although they will grind themselves free if you use them anyway.

[@magdanoz88]

I'm printing the same style linear bearings from PLA with success. They're working great with aluminium or carbon tubes. The carbon ones are expensive, though... :)

[@Q3Coricoco]

I use igus rjm bushing and finally change to lm10, because I have lots of hysteresis, even using oil in the rods. Its quieter but as you said it work better with aluminum machine pieces and with preload, but igus bussings with printed pieces for me its a bad solution

[@ReneJurack]

THIS! This is so important to say. In printed parts it's going to get very tricky!

[@schnabuliertier]

I have the same problem. My igus bushings will not fit into my printed parts because the printed parts (ABS) are very badly warped. I can push them in, but they will completely stick.

[@matneu27]

To stay serious, you can refine maybe the play of the rails until you you can't measure it, but how about the belts? How about their tension depending on the acceleration? Would everyone replace those to ballscrew rod? I would say the difference between ball and polymer is more a good feeling than a fact in case of printing for home use. Or how we use to say in Germany : "let the church placed in town"

[@Ultrasonictwo]

really you should be lubricating the lm8uu bearing /rails.. they will last longer and be quieter

[@droidjsmith]

Great video! I've used the Igus bearingsl on several printers with stock steel, primarily for noise reduction purposes. I noticed that you're using the RJMP 01-08 model; I've been using the RJ4JP 01-08 model, which is based on Japanese dimensions, and matches perfectly with the LM8UU bearing. I find it has a perfect fit on stock 8mm steel shafts, with no play. They're a bit difficult to get in the US, only a few sellers have them - but they seem to be readily available in Europe.

[@gibsonblogger]

Joe, could you recommend a US reseller of the RJ4JP?

[@droidjsmith]

Robert Gibson I know Ultimate3DPrintingStore.com keeps them in stock; FolgerTech.com has a limited supply right now.

[@droidjsmith]

+igusInc hi! I'm using the stores mentioned above to get the RJ4JP 01-08 version. If I do any new design work using round shafts, I'll be sure to try the RJMP version, but I'm also considering the T linear rail series. Thanks!

[@enf644]

Tom, could you compare igus bearings with a printed POM bearings on a lubricated shaft? Is there any significant difference?

[@dejayrezme8617]

I'd love to know as well. The ability to 3D print linear bearings without vitamins would be really cool (more self replication). PS: Or even a printed POM slider on a standard aluminium extrusion. There was a 3D printer kickstarter where someone spend a lot of time getting the slider right with preload etc.

[@colenagao2493]

+Thomas Sanladerer hey I have 800 us dollars and I am deciding whether I should get a robo 3d r1 plus or get a wombot exilis xl which do you think I should get?

[@larrymortimer4833]

Very informative, thanks Thomas.

[@pomprocks]

IMO polymer bushings are the way to go for 3d printing. They are light, quiet, and last forever.

[@pen25]

i just wished they would come out with lm8luu bearing replacements.

[@fabianc6161]

I replaced the Y carriage on my prusa I3 Mk2 with IGUS bushings (the ones without the aluminum shell) and they work flawlessly as they are pressed a bit by the u-bolts.

[@henmich]

I have a TAZ6 with IGUS sleeves and they are NOT a lifetime part. The ones on my stock unmodified machine are as sloppy af. I had to replace them

[@NEutebach]

Hi Tom, my experience with igus bushings: i've machined several different types during an internship :P Great video (as always). As you mention and show the Hiwin MGN rails: it'd be great to see a comparison between the real deal and the stuff that you can buy at alibaba (and maybe throw in some igus). I know that there's a moral aspect to this topic, but i've heard the argument that whilst being of lower precicion, the knockoff types would still hold up to the demands of a 3d printing application. And they can obniously be had at a fraction of the price. Do you have any experience with those? Schöne Grüße, Niklas

[@GameofKnowing]

Hi Tom. Thanks for the video :) You often mention "brand name" lm8uu bearings. What are some good brands you trust?

[@per-5786]

Misumi !

[@ryangarrison7088]

which model number? they have quite a complicated array of options....

[@tedkramer1090]

Lulzbot uses polymer bearings in their TAZ6 printer

[@timothyelkington9899]

Like sleeve of wizard? Was that a borat reference?

[@mariusb6035]

As visible on your desk you also got some trapezodial spindles with IGUS bushings, did you test them and would you recommend them in terms of precision, required maintainance, ease of use, xpectalbe service life and cost when compared to the average 3d printer belt system, lead screws and ball screws.

[@marhblue]

Hi great video I found a couple 11mm=7/16in diameter linear shaft, can't find bearings that size, can anyone help me?

[@JATMN]

2:45 little bit of a distraction? :) LOL!!! How did that magically get back where it was suppose to be?!? :)

[@DocMicha]

Hi, you did not address the stick slip effect of the IGUS-Bearings. Some users tell in different forums, that with this effect the printer vibrates more or less at the points of directional change. Do you experience the same?

[@minamalek9114]

Hey guys any idea if I can use this kind of polymer bushings inside the water?? logically thinking they have no metal part to get rusted over time but how about the smoothness of its motion on a stainless steel rod??

[@MosheKashani]

Hey Tom first of all great video, second you briefly mentioned mgn rails and almost never have mentioned v-slot motion. Can you please make a video explaining the strengths and weaknesses of v-slot and also whether or not mgn rails from AliExpress are any good. Thanks in advance.

[@dejayrezme8617]

Can't you just 3D print a "clamp" casing for the igus bushings to compress them correctly with a screw? Like the E3D V6 heatbreak does for the heat cartridge? Did I miss it or what is actually an achievable way to use igus for DIY?

[@antoniodalombajr9169]

I work for IGUS in Rhode Island, and I send out samples to prospected customers. Polymer is better!!

[@alchemistTi]

Antonio DaLomba, Jr I'll take some RJ4JP 01-08's!

[@VeganRashad]

Can you get me a job?

[@chriskwakernaat2328]

how do these bushings last in say a 3018 cnc?

[@AndreQuirion]

Have you tried printing tighter tolerance bushing from IGUS filament for replacing "loose mounted" LMU88?

[@macelius]

Nice hoodie, looks cozy, where can i get one like that for the fall?

[@did3d523]

so igus good or not?