Polycarbonate 3d Printing Settings

Therefore polycarbonate filament settings are a higher printing temperature the closer to 300c the better.

Polycarbonate 3d printing settings. Most cheap 3d printers are not capable of going above 300c so 290c works well for these 3d printers. How to succeed when 3d printing polycarbonate. As a 3d printing filament it s heat resistance is both a benefit and a problematic characteristic as it is even more prone to warping and splitting than abs filament. Polycarbonate pc offers excellent heat resistance and tensile strength for real world applications.

Polycarbonate filament absorbs moisture from it surroundings and thus needs to be dried before printing. The material is prone to warping and shrinkage so it s imperative that a consistent temperature be maintained. Polycarbonate 3d printer filament isn t hard to print with as long as you keep a few things in mind. Polycarbonate filament can generally be 3d printed at temperatures between 260 310c though generally a good temperature is around 290c.

You can print polycarbonate at lower than 290c but you need to be very careful. We recommend using a first layer height of 100 150 a first layer width of 12 150 and a first layer speed of 15 30. The bed should ideally be between 135 and 150 c. Polymakers polylite pc and polymax pc filaments for example have been optimized to print at lower printing temperatures 250 c.

It s a naturally transparent thermoplastic with high impact resistance and excellent heat resistance. It also has a glass transition temperature of 150c. In addition to having a high temperature hot end and heated bed a 3d printer with an enclosed build chamber is essential for printing polycarbonate plastic. When it comes to 3d printing polycarbonate set up and settings may vary depending on the grade of pc.

Polycarbonate also denoted as pc is a strong durable and tough material. When it comes to 3d printing in polycarbonate you must choose a 3d printer that adeptly handles high temperatures. Polycarbonate 3d printing can be difficult if you don t take the proper precautions. Choose the right 3d printer.

Moreover polycarbonate materials tend to have a higher glass transition temperature which indicates better high temperature performance. This makes a heated bed essential. All of these settings can be entered on the layer tab of your simplify3d process settings.