Polycarbonate (PC) is an engineering-grade thermoplastic prized for its strength, durability, heat resistance and optical clarity. As a 3D printing material, polycarbonate allows makers, engineers and designers to print sturdy, functional parts with a smooth surface finish.
With its excellent mechanical properties and temperature resistance, polycarbonate is ideal for applications like manufacturing jigs and fixtures, robotics components, drone parts and more. Compared to other common 3D printing filaments like PLA and ABS, polycarbonate is tougher and more resilient, making it suitable for demanding applications.
This guide covers everything you need to know about polycarbonate 3D printing, including key benefits and applications, print settings, tips for success, and recommended machines and accessories.
Key Benefits of Polycarbonate 3D PrinterFilament
Here are some of the standout benefits of using polycarbonate for 3D printing:
- High tensile strength: Polycarbonate has very high tensile and flexural strength. Printed PC parts can withstand high loads and stresses without cracking or deforming.
- Heat resistance: Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of around 145°C and heat deflection temperature of over 130°C. Printed objects can withstand hot environments and applications.
- Impact resistance: Polycarbonate has excellent impact strength and toughness. Parts resist breakage if dropped or struck. Useful for applications that experience vibration, shocks or blows.
- Optical clarity: Polycarbonate can produce transparent prints rivaling acrylic. Useful for lighting applications, enclosures, covers, lenses and more.
- Chemical resistance: Polycarbonate offers good resistance to acids, bases, oils and alcohols. Suitable for applications involving chemicals.
- Layer bonding: Polycarbonate extrudes at a hotter temperature, producing strong interlayer adhesion and watertight prints.
- Durability: Printed polycarbonate parts have high longevity and abrasion resistance. The material stands up well to UV rays with minimal degradation over time.
With this versatile combination of mechanical, thermal and optical properties, polycarbonate is an excellent choice for printing durable, long-lasting parts and tools. It outperforms commonly used filaments like ABS and PLA in strength, resilience and functionality.
Applications for Polycarbonate 3D Printing
The unmatched properties of polycarbonate make it well suited to a wide range of applications. Here are some of the most common uses of PC in 3D printing:
- Manufacturing tools: Jigs, fixtures, assembly tools and end-use production parts. Polycarbonate has the rigidity and durability for factory floor environments.
- Functional prototypes: Strong polycarbonate prototypes can undergo functional testing and repeated use. PC is ideal for prototypes that will be handled, assembled, dropped or stressed.
- Robotics parts: Arms, chassis components and housings can be printed from robust polycarbonate. The material withstands vibration, shocks and high-stress areas.
- RC vehicles: Polycarbonate is tough enough for RC car and drone components like body panels, chassis and housings. The material resists impact from crashes and collisions.
- Protective equipment: Hard hats, face shields, masks, goggles and other protective wear. Polycarbonate has high impact strength and optical clarity.
- High-temperature applications: Polycarbonate maintains its stiffness, strength and form at elevated temperatures. Useful for hot air ducts, electronics enclosures, insulation covers and more.
- Chemical handling: Polycarbonate’s chemical resistance allows it to be used for funnels, storage tanks, spill containment tools and components exposed to oils, alcohols and dilute acids and bases.
- Lenses and lighting: With its optical clarity, polycarbonate excels at light pipes, lighting covers and diffusers, signs and displays, and complex optical components like camera lenses.
Polycarbonate’s reputation for being virtually unbreakable also makes it popular for items like phone cases, tool handles, bottle openers, paddles and other objects that experience impact, drops or abuse in daily use. For advanced applications, polycarbonate can be reinforced with carbon fiber or glass fiber fill to further improve its strength.
Polycarbonate vs. ABS, PLA, PETG
How does polycarbonate compare to more commonly used 3D printing filaments like ABS, PLA and PETG? Here’s an overview:
ABS – Polycarbonate has superior thermal and impact properties compared to ABS. PC has a higher glass transition temperature (145°C vs. 105°C for ABS) so it maintains its stiffness at higher temps. PC also has roughly 40% higher tensile strength and significantly better impact resistance than ABS.
PLA – Polycarbonate completely outclasses PLA in strength, durability, temperature resistance and chemical resistance. PLA is suitable for non-demanding applications and trinkets, while polycarbonate is an advanced engineering-grade material suitable for mechanical parts.
PETG – Polycarbonate has similar clarity, layer bonding and impact resistance as PETG, but has significantly higher tensile and flexural strength. Polycarbonate also has much better heat deflection temperature (130°C vs. 70-80°C for PETG). This makes polycarbonate preferable for high-stress mechanical parts and applications with moderate heat.
So while materials like ABS, PLA and PETG are good starter filaments, polycarbonate represents a more professional, industrial-grade option when superior mechanical properties and heat/chemical resistance are needed.
Print Settings for Polycarbonate Filament
Polycarbonate can be challenging to print due to its high melting temperature. Printing polycarbonate requires higher temperatures, slower speeds, good cooling and a bit of part orientation finesse.
Here are some general guidelines for good polycarbonate print settings:
- Extruder Temp: 280-320°C
- Bed Temp: 90-120°C
- Cooling: 30-80% fan speed recommended
- Speed: 30-60mm/s print speed recommended
- Layer Height: 0.1 – 0.3mm layers
Polycarbonate likes slower print speeds to allow layers to bond properly without “oozing” and deforming. Cooling is also important with polycarbonate to prevent excess oozing, warping and overheating. Dialing in the right combo of temperature, speed and cooling for your printer is key to success.
Because PC shrinks more than other materials upon cooling, some warp-prone parts like corners may need a brim or raft to adhere to the bed. Orienting parts strategically can also minimize warping on overhangs and bridging.
Using a heated print chamber, chamber enclosure or even DIY enclosure is recommended to maintain a constant temperature throughout a polycarbonate print. This reduces residual stresses and warping. An enclosure can allow you to print at lower fan speeds for better layer adhesion.
Polycarbonate 3D Printer Requirements
Printing polycarbonate requires some specific machine capabilities:
- All-metal hot end – Polycarbonate’s 290+ °C printing temps demand an all-metal hot end. Metal can withstand the heat that would melt PTFE-lined hot ends.
- Heated bed – A bed that reaches 90-120°C is needed to prevent warping and keep the first layer adhered.
- Closed frame – A 3D printer with an enclosed frame helps contain heat and prevents drafts that could warp large, hot prints.
- High temp motor – Look for motors rated for at least 100°C sustained temperatures, especially on extruder motor.
- Ventilation – Fumes from heating polycarbonate should be vented outside work area.
- Enclosure – Optional, but highly recommended. An enclosure mod helps maintain chamber temps.
Here are some of the best desktop 3D printers for printing with high-temperature polycarbonate filament:
- Prusa i3 MK3S / MK3S+
- Ultimaker S5
- Raise3D Pro 2 Plus
- MakerBot Method
- LulzBot TAZ Pro
- Formlabs Form 3
- Carbon M2
- FlashForge Creator Max
- Qidi Tech X-Max
These printers have enclosed frames, all-metal hot ends, heated beds reaching over 100°C and the build quality to contain heat and print reliably. For industrial production, commercial polycarbonate 3D printers from Stratasys and 3D Systems excel at printing large, tough components.
Polycarbonate Filament Brands
Polycarbonate filament is offered by most major 3D printing filament brands, including:
- Polymaker Polymax PC
- MatterHackers Pro Series Polycarbonate
- 3DXTECH Polycarbonate
- eSUN ePC Polycarbonate
- IC3D Polycarbonate
- Fillamentum Polycarbonate
- Keene Village Plastics Polycarbonate
- Proto Pasta Polycarbonate Composite PCTG
- Ultimaker Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate blends like Polycarbonate ABS (PC-ABS) and Polycarbonate PBT (PC-PBT) are also available, which tweak the properties slightly while retaining most of the key benefits of polycarbonate.
These filaments are usually available in standard diameters of 1.75mm and 2.85mm. Make sure to get the diameter that fits your printer.
Finishing Polycarbonate Prints
Freshly printed polycarbonate has a matte, course surface finish. A few finishing methods can give parts a smoother, glossier look and feel:
- Acetone vapor – Exposing printed PC to acetone vapors polishes the surface by partially melting it. Can be done in an enclosure with some acetone in a reservoir.
- Sanding – Gradually smoothing parts with increasingly fine sandpaper (e.g. 400 grit up to 2000 grit) yields a polished finish.
- Flame polishing – A quick pass from a butane torch melts and smooths the top surface layer. Must be done carefully to avoid deformation.
- Epoxy coating – Applying a thin layer of epoxy and curing it can create a glassy finish. Can also be used to seal and strengthen parts.
- Primer/paint – Priming and painting polycarbonate sands imperfections and gives colored, even finishes. Adhesion may require sanding and priming first.
With some post-processing, polycarbonate can take on an incredibly smooth, polished or colorful finish. The material can mimic glass, plastic and painted metal.
Design Tips for Polycarbonate 3D Printing
Here are some polycarbonate design considerations for optimal prints:
- Minimize bridges and overhangs that can droop or sag without adequate support. Or orient parts strategically to avoid printing bridges on the X-Y plane.
- Add chamfers or filets to corners and sharp edges to reduce stress concentrations. Polycarbonate’s layer lines create an anisotropic material weaker in the Z direction.
- Threads and sliding fits may need to be modelled slightly undersized to account for polycarbonate’s shrinkage. Test your tolerances.
- Increase wall count for watertight, durable prints that won’t tear or deform under load. 4-6 solid walls are recommended for parts that will encounter stresses.
- Use generous supports and brims when needed. Polycarbonate can warp when cooling if large surface areas start to lift from the bed.
- Design enclosures and housings with vent holes to allow heated air and fumes to escape when printing in an enclosure.
By accounting for polycarbonate’s strength anisotropy, tendency to warp, and need for robust solid parts, you can achieve reliably printed parts in PC.
Safety Considerations for Polycarbonate 3D Printing
Printing with polycarbonate comes with a few safety considerations:
- Ventilation – Polycarbonate produces styrene vapors when heated. Always print PC in a well-ventilated area and consider using a ventilation system to vent emissions outside.
- Skin contact – Molten polycarbonate can cause burns. Wear protective gloves when handling prints.
- Acetone – Take precautions when vapor smoothing prints with acetone, which is volatile and flammable. Work in a ventilated area away from ignition sources.
- Never touch the hot ends of your 3D printer. Temperatures reach 300+°C and can severely burn skin.
- Part strength – PC parts have incredible strength! This enables large projections and thin parts that can injure you or break if used improperly. Account for the high strength when designing.
- Flame polishing – Take care when briefly using a torch to polish polycarbonate prints. Work in a fire-safe area with an extinguisher on hand.
By working carefully around hot elements and accounting for the material properties, polycarbonate can be printed safely with amazing results!
Troubleshooting Polycarbonate 3D Printing
Polycarbonate is one of the more difficult materials to print. Here are some common issues and fixes:
Warping – Increase bed temperature, use an enclosure, add a brim, optimize cooling.
Oozing – Lower nozzle temperature, increase cooling. Slow down print speed.
Stringing – Lower nozzle temp, increase retraction distance/speed. Avoid using too much cooling.
Poor bed adhesion – Clean/prepare bed surface. Use glue, hairspray, or PEI sheet. Raise bed temperature.
Cracking – Increase infill percentage and wall count. Add fillets to corners. Reduce sharp angles in the model.
Discoloration – Lower nozzle temperature and avoid overheating material. Improve cooling.
Brittle parts – Check that temperature isn’t too high. Optimize print orientation and supports.
With some calibration and experimentation, polycarbonate’s challenges can be overcome for smooth prints and incredibly strong parts.
Polycarbonate 3D Printing: Strong, Durable Parts
Polycarbonate produces some of the toughest and most resilient 3D printed parts. This advanced filament enables durable tools, working prototypes, end-use components and more.
While it can be tricky to print, polycarbonate’s heat resistance, tensile strength and impact resistance make it an exceptional material for demanding applications. With the right printer and settings, polycarbonate unlocks new possibilities for durable and functional 3D printed parts.
