As a polycarbonate, PC-Plus and PC-Max offer stronger mechanical properties than more common 3D printing materials including PLA and ABS. The new material’s advanced properties make it ideally suited to creating components with mechanically demanding applications. However, the material also offers the same flexibility in post-processing as standard materials and can easily be sanded down or coated with paint or smoothing products. Polymaker was only able to create a material this strong for use on standard extrusion-based desktop 3D printers with the help of their development partner, Covestro.
“Covestro’s expertise, portfolio of products and industry leadership will be invaluable to our mission to provide the industry with the best materials with the performance, reliability and safety that will inspire our customers and expand our product portfolio,” said Polymaker CEO Dr. Xiaofan Luo.
“Polycarbonate has properties that make it very desirable for the 3D printing community as a whole, and Polymaker PC makes it even better for creative designers and engineers at every stage of the production process. Its excellent engineering and functional properties open doors to new projects and applications that were not previously possible to those with desktop 3D printers,” Dr. Luo continued.
Here is a Polymaker PC promotional video detailing the development of the new line of materials:
One of the primary advantages to 3D printing with polycarbonate materials is the durability of individual printed parts, with finished pieces having stronger mechanical properties than standard materials, and the PC-Max dramatically improving the impact resistance and toughness, even over PC-Plus. In addition to being durable, polycarbonate materials are also naturally flame retardant, resistant to a large number of chemicals and solvents and can be engineered to offer transparency. That optical clarity allows for a wide range of new uses and applications, many available to desktop 3D printers for the first time.
Polymaker PC-Plus will be available for purchase directly from Polymaker in October as well as through Polymaker’s network of distributors and resellers. Each 750 gram (1.6 pound) spool of PC-Plus will retail for $39.99 or can be bundled with a 8” x 8” BuildTak sheet for $46.99. There is no pricing or release date information yet for PC-Max; however, Polymaker expects it to be available by the end of this year.
Have your tried either of these two filaments out? Let us know in the PC-Max and PC-Plus forum thread on 3DPB.com.