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Material family

Polycarbonate · Polycarbonate

A higher heat and toughness option for demanding functional parts — selected when PLA/PETG thermal limits are not enough.

Best for: Heat-resistant parts · Tough housings · Engineering prototypes

Available for instant quoting

Overview

Why teams choose Polycarbonate

A higher heat and toughness option for demanding functional parts — selected when PLA/PETG thermal limits are not enough.

Strengths

  • Higher heat resistance than commodity PLA/PETG
  • Strong toughness for many engineering geometries
  • Flame-retardant grades available by project

At a glance

Relative performance — a simplified comparison across FORM3D’s available FDM materials. Actual properties vary by formulation, geometry and print orientation.

  • Strength4/5
  • Stiffness4/5
  • Impact resistance4/5
  • Heat resistance5/5
  • UV resistance2/5
  • Flexibility1/5
  • Surface detail3/5
Variants

Options within Polycarbonate

Select a variant to see what actually changes — finish, use and limitations.

Standard

Engineering polycarbonate for heat and toughness.

Available for instant quoting

Best for

Heat-resistant housings · Tough brackets

Appearance

Opaque to translucent engineering finish (geometry-dependent)

What changes

  • Higher heat class than PETG/PLA

Key limitations

  • Process-sensitive; not automatically optically clear

Colours (5 available)

Black · #1A1A1A

Colour representation is approximate. Material batch, surface finish, print orientation, geometry, lighting and display calibration can affect final appearance.

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Colours

Colour is subordinate to material choice

Use the variant panel above for swatches. Colours never get standalone pages.

Performance

Comparative guidance

These scales help orientation. They are not laboratory certificates.

Relative performance — a simplified comparison across FORM3D’s available FDM materials. Actual properties vary by formulation, geometry and print orientation.

  • Strength4/5
  • Stiffness4/5
  • Impact resistance4/5
  • Heat resistance5/5
  • UV resistance2/5
  • Flexibility1/5
  • Surface detail3/5
Applications

Where this family fits

  • Higher-temperature housings
  • Tough functional brackets
  • Engineering evaluation parts
Design guidance

Designing for Polycarbonate

Pair with FORM3D Design Guidelines for shared FDM rules.

  • Expect higher process temperatures — design with warp and annealing realities in mind.
  • Do not specify “optically clear” FDM PC unless validated for your geometry.
  • Share temperature and load requirements early.
Open Design Guidelines
Limitations

Know the trade-offs

  • More demanding to process and design than PLA
  • Do not assume optical clarity for FDM polycarbonate
  • Moisture and process control matter
FAQ

Common questions

Is FDM polycarbonate clear?
Not reliably. Apparent transparency depends on geometry, wall thickness, orientation and processing. Treat optical clarity as a validated exception, not a default.

Related families

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