The King of 3D printing materials? Polymaker PolyMax PC REVIEW

[@CNCKitchen]

Feel free to share the video on Facebook, Reddit, Twitter and other social media! I'm currently on holiday in Japan so please excuse if replies to comments might be a little delayed.

[@3dgussner958]

Enjoy your trip...

[@martinder3199]

Have you made any tests on Polymaker Polylite PC? I think it was called PC-Plus in the past but it looks like they rebranded it. The properties apear to be almost equal but it's 25% cheaper! So the big question is, where is the catch?

[@jackbisson9226]

Hi, I was just wondering if you annealed the prints. I see the manufacture recommends heating after the printing of Ploymaker PolyMax PC.

[@monkeywrench1951]

Wat about annealing Polycarbonate 3D prints ? I've seen a lot of annealing videos, but not really for polycarbonate.

[@bkperformance6037]

If you re-humidify I.e. "add water back into the plastic after printing" this should dramatically increase strength. When thermo forming Polycarbonate it is quite common to have to do this after forming to regain the rated impact strength of the material as it is the water content that makes PC so strong.

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

This is for real?? Seems so backwards of everything I've learned lol doesn't surprise me tho I guess

[@autonomousperson]

I couldn't find any info on this, do you have any references?

[@autonomousperson]

Only nylon needs to be rehydrated, pc should not

[@Dude902]

Need another source on this.

[@tannerbriton9027]

I remember this from the yard trimmer video. The nylon cord was hydrated for strength and that package said do not dehydrate it or it would become brittle. That was nylon though, but I could see it for pc too. Are there sources?

[@krizo96]

I'd love to see the comparison with the lite version that's almost half-price.

[@XiaoMingMC]

well, the cheapest polycarbonate material sold in China is 12 dollars per kilo....I'd buy some and test.

[@demonsheadshot8086]

@@XiaoMingMC so did u do it?

[@XiaoMingMC]

@@demonsheadshot8086 nope, I do not have an all-metal hot end, unfortunately.

[@demonsheadshot8086]

@@XiaoMingMC I want to suggest since you could easily buy it locally there, an all metal heatbrake that you could replace ur ptfe heatbrake with and see if that works? I havent seen anyone try it and all they do is just buy microswiss or e3d hotends.

[@dennischertkovsky8871]

I’ve used the lite version (back when it was called PC-Plus), and it is extremely rigid, almost glass-like. Very strong, very very strong layer adhesion, and quite transparent. The downsides are that it is brittle, and will probably cut you if you break a piece in your hands. Also, sticks to my PEI bed far too well, but that’s mostly on me. Warps and lifts if you don’t adhere it well enough. I haven’t tried the Max version yet. I find eSun ePC prints more easily, but it doesn’t have the god-like stiffness, strength, and layer bonding of PC-Plus.

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Hi Stefan from Australia, Your videos are a lifesaver. As a new to 3d printing bloke, ive been just buying every single different type of filament i can get my hands on, it was making me broke till i found your informative videos! Thankyou!

[@marcozacarias1675]

I been dying to use my roll of Polymaker PC-Max but haven't found the right application until now and so, I'm extremely thankful that you've provided this video. Happy to be one of your supporters! Absolutely great work!

[@CNCKitchen]

Thanks for the support!

[@phil.tsao.]

Your charts made me question my understanding of some material properties - specifically around impact resistance when compared to Nylon. My intuition was that Nylon would have higher impact resistance than ABS, which is not what was shown on your graph. After doing some digging, it does seem to have lower impact resistance. I had mistakenly thought that because Nylon is more tough, the impact resistance would be better, but that's not the case. Thanks for your great videos, and you clarified something for me today 🙂. Also - looks like I need to get my hands on some of this PC, those material properties looks great.

[@Flame6332]

11:22 "Next, I did the impact test, and there as expected, PC Max outperformed everything, even the really flexible peepee"

[@alexdunda]

...a great material for everything that needs to take a beating

[@dasjulian3]

He probably knew

[@Flame6332]

@@alexdunda Nice

[@markusstaden]

I'm glad that I am not the only one :D

[@mateng7707]

nice

[@patrickweckermann9121]

If only there was a prusaslicer setting to have the fan enabled for the outermost perimeter layer, and disabled for the inner layers and infill. Then you should get a good combo of strength and quality.

[@isaaclyonsf1]

That's a brilliant idea, I'm sure it can be done👍

[@SalveMonesvol]

Yes, but the outer layer does most of the work, so also no.

[@patrickweckermann9121]

@@SalveMonesvol The perimeter layers in general provide most of the strength, so yes you are sacrificing a bit of strength on one of the layers for the sake of print quality. Its all about trade-offs and understanding the consequences of them with the print settings. You can always add an extra perimeter layer to compensate. Better print quality, less cleanup time, potentially less plastic use for support (since you're less likely to need it) and finally, its a relatively easy setting to code in.

[@SalveMonesvol]

@@patrickweckermann9121 In that case, just make sure the outer layer is more elastic than the inner layer, thus allowing the inner layers to work befor the outer one cracks. So, no PLA.

[@patrickweckermann9121]

Not sure we're talking about the same thing here, but I'll bite. Sure the outermost layer may be more brittle and prone to separation, but at least its in the shape you intended (as are the other layers). You can compensate this for a bit by increasing the temperature of the inner layer(s) so they adhere better. This is far more of an issue with materials like poly-carbonate and PETG in my experience.

[@marhar2]

I really appreciate the level of technical detail in your channel. I get the high-level view of a particular material, and I learn a little bit about the technical aspects of materials and testing. Thanks!

[@jeanbalcaen1917]

Hi Stephan, I use PC-MAX for mechanical parts and was very interested in this review. Also I read somewhere that PC-MAX need to be annealed 1h at 100°C to achieve it's best mechanical performance, would you consider give it a try later on?

[@brotherdust]

Agreed! Please re-visit with recommended anneal settings!

[@CNCKitchen]

Will do.

[@jeanbalcaen1917]

@@CNCKitchen Yesss! Thank you!

[@jaistanley]

+1 for this. I am considering buying myself a small fan assisted oven (approx same size as my build volume) so I can take the hot glass build plate out and put it straight in after a print. I'd modify it with an arduino/second had PLC to control the annealing profile. I'd really like to see the affect as I have noticed the material properties seem to really change over time (after the part is printed) and would like to try annealing them to see if this goes away! This material REALLY doesn't 'feel' like other polycarbonates I have printed with. Polymaker clearly modify the material for 3D printing. The MDS says it is 10% 'fillers'. I wonder what they are?? Gypsun, styrene, monomers... I really can't think. It certainly feels more 'gummy' than other polycarbonates and the temperatures are a lot lower.

[@xavaloy]

Would there be deformation with annealing this material?

[@kleingarrett55]

Great job! I was thinking of upgrading one of my printers so I could print PC filaments, and you point out I actually probably don't have to, which is amazing. Keep up the great work.

[@Juhuuu]

Hobbyking sells some (seemingly) pure polycarbonate filament for around 20 €/kg. It would be interesting so see how that compares to polymax PC and the lite version. I've been printing with the Hobbyking polycarbonate for a while and it does seem really strong, but I have nothing to compare it against. It requires a printing temperature of 295 C, which leads me to believe it is in fact pure PC. I also use an insulated chamber while printing with it. Some kind of a chamber is a must, since without it, the parts would completely warp themselves free from the surface.

[@jaistanley]

I agree.. I have both materials (I use PC-Max a LOT) and the hobbyking is indeed a LOT more like other polycarbonates I have seen in the wild.

[@TaigiTWeseFormosanDiplomat]

Ok, but you can print this one in 250 !

[@infernaldaedra]

You should compare the polymaker PC vs pure PC filament.

[@jaistanley]

+1.. I'd be very interested too. This material is excellent, but it is VERY different to use than other PC's I have tried. It's certainly a lot easier to print! It feels a lot more 'gummy' as if it is modified with a styrene or something. The MDS says it is 10% 'fillers' but give no clue as to what those are!

[@Dzeno2010]

Yeah I think the temperature resistance will also be a bit higher at least. Lower print temp usually also means lower temperature resistance.

[@patprop74]

Great testing video, I don't use the polymaker PC brand, but i do print other PC's, i use a garolite sheet on my print bed with the heat at 70C and a hotend temp if 290C and 10% parts cooling for the annealing process, these settings give me the best results.

[@court2379]

So what happens to the 270 with 15% if you bake/anneal it? Can you get the strength back, but still keep the print quality without large shrinkage or distortion?

[@CNCKitchen]

Annealing does usually NOT improve layer adhesion of the parts it doesn't fuse the layers back together. I will take a closer look at that in a bit!

[@patrickspapens5497]

Good question actually. I want to strengthen my parts before applying epoxy. Read about annealing just today. I know your comment is 5 years old but did you get any conclusive data about it?

[@ianide2480]

Would be cool to see the comparison to their Light brand as well. Thanks for the video, always good stuff on your channel

[@BRUXXUS]

I hope you had/have a wonderful trip to Japan! One set of testing I would like to see would be testing creep on various 3D printed materials and if there's ways to improve it. I think that could be really fascinating, especially for mechanical parts.

[@BladeScraper]

I use PC-Plus (slightly different from PolyMax/PC-Max) and it's awesome. Crazy strong and prints very clean. Like CNC Kitchen said make sure you dry it before trying to print and print from a dry box because it's very hygroscopic.

[@josiahong5177]

I did some of my own testing with PC-Max and PC-Plus (now PolyLite PC and PolyMax PC) and found it stays dry in open air at like 30% humidity for like 14 days. So it should be okay to print from a normal spool holder.

[@thequietguy7]

I've always had best luck with PC being printed in an enclosure with the cooling fan on 10%, but also with a piece of masking tape covering 2/3 of the cooling fan's intake. This seems to result in strong layer adhesion while still maintaining good print quality. I recently printed some replacement valve cages for a pressure washer and they held up great.

[@PetterBruland]

I was happy enough with us having a 3 day Labor day weekend here, and then I get this gold nugget for breakfast!! Thank you for a great start to my weekend!

[@CNCKitchen]

You're welcome!

[@jackytigra]

Another great video! Great to see that you are using the awesome capabilities of the Core scanner! I really appreciate your videos, Keep up the good work.

[@FreedomToRoam86]

Dude - you are the go to man for finding out the truth on filaments. Thanks!

[@tim1398]

I tried both PC Max and eSun ePC - I found ePC much easier to work with and produced much cleaner prints, had better bed adhesion, and was less moisture sensitive. It would be interesting to see how it's performance compares.

[@MonsterPartsRc]

I’d like to see you test materials based on print quality... even sacrificing raw strength for the best-looking prints (least layer lines, smoothest finish, highest accuracy)

[@Side85Winder]

From PC filaments from other manafactures they have been printed at tempatures over ~300* as high as 320*. If you go hotter the fan should become more usable with keeping the part strength. At lower tempatures (sub 300*) the slower printed the better so the plastic had time to melt in the hotend.

[@WernerBeroux]

Awesome tests. It's recommended to use a heated chamber. I wonder how much the layer adhesion and print quality would improve with that.

[@cncgeneral]

I use GOM equipment at work to inspect metal 3d printed turbine components, being able to get so much information has really changed how we work

[@joearchuleta7538]

CNC Kitchen love the videos thanks for sharing!!! I have a print farm and I print with the Polylite PC clear, Polymax PC white and PolyMax PC Black a lot. They all are different with end results, you would think there would not be much of a difference but there is. On my raise 3d I print the Polylite PC clear at 260c with .1 layer height for best strength. IF your print has long bridges never have your layers thinner than .1 mm, too thin and you will get much more layer drooping. First 5 layers no fan. 15% to 20% fan after the first 5 layers, if that does not work no fan. I print the Poly Max PC Black and white at 265c on the Raise for best strength and end results. When I print the Poly Max PC Black and white at 270c it seem to have less flex and it is more brittle. The Black and white are softer to the touch but stronger than the clear. To much fan on wider flat surfaces will cause a warp effect. Printing with a raft will bring less print failers and Increase your print consistency. If your not using a raft use a 2 layer brim with at lease a 5mm gap between your print and brim, and your print quality will increase.

[@4991Ares]

If you want the true king of filaments, try Novamid 1030CF10. Quite expensive, but it has better specs in terms of E-modulus and tensile strength even when tested in the wrong direction. When tested in the right direction (so the carbon fibers do their job), you can expect an E-modulus of almost four times as high as PC (7.5 vs. 2 GPa) and a tensile strength of almost twice as high (110 vs. 60 MPa). I'm interested on seeing a Charpy test on that, though! Edit: print quality may also improve a lot compared to PC, I've seen some amazing prints.

[@jaistanley]

Thank you for this video. PC-Max is still my favourite material. When I print in anything else thesse days I am dissapointed by the materials strength. As per my other comments: I'd really like to see some investigation regarding the reccomended annealing and a comparison against 'pure' polycarbonate materials. The Polymaker MDS states that this material is 10% 'fillers' but don't say what! Perhaps a gypsum, or butadene; maybe styrene. It feels a lot more 'gummy' than other polycarbonates and is a LOT easier to print.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

If only PolyMax PC was a pure PC filament. I wish they were clearer about it being a blend of polymers (likely a blend of PC and PBT, based on the density and melt temperature) on their site, but you have to hunt down an MSDS for it before they tell you it's only 70-90% PC. FWIW, a true PC filament should require extruder temps around 300c rather than around 260c like Polymakers' stuff.

[@infernaldaedra]

It makes sense why they do it they lower the required temperature to make it much more accessible so more people can buy and use their "polycarbonate" blend.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

@@infernaldaedra it's definitely easier to print, that's for sure. And waaaay easier to anneal. But it's also not quite as strong. :)

[@shankswrc3509]

You are the best! Do the digital image correlation vídeo. My Master dissertation is on DIC and i use gom correlation software.

[@astro7996]

Excellent video, concise, funny at times and very informative. Do you have building videos or info on your DIY testing machines? Thanks!

[@CNCKitchen]

Yes I do! UTM: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6fRXn1ueMensK8 Impact: www.thingiverse.com/thing:3511769

[@riba2233]

hi Stefan, really missing your filament review videos! Hope we'll se more :)

[@marcosllorente9031]

Awesome as always. What do you think about Polymaker PoliMide CoPa? It will be interesting how it performs in your tests.

[@joearchuleta7538]

The Polymaker PoliMide has a lot of flex, on non solid parts, too much flex In my opinion!

[@CNCKitchen]

I tested it similarly last year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5DMXmhtiKp6otE

[@philipps3ddruck]

Sehr sehr cool. Eine Rolle von PC Max habe ich auch noch da, da bekomme ich gleich Lust wieder mal etwas damit zu drucken :-)

[@FrodorMov]

oh wow, that GOM software looks super powerful and free !? I'd actually been thinking to PM you about a little project I had going on regarding strain tests with speckle patterns. However, I guess that my project is obsolete now :p

[@CNCKitchen]

Sorry ;-)

[@carloscubas2824]

hello, i would really like to see a slow motion video of your impact test. I suspect that in some amount the broken test sample gets to drag under the weight and that could have some effect in your measurements. Great Video!!

[@CNCKitchen]

It actually shouldn't due to the geometry of the hammer (which is conforming to the ISO 180).

[@MakenModify]

Great video :D the Gom scanner is really nice, had access to on while I ran the rapid prototyping lab at university. Really great tool but not exactly cheap 😅 but at least the software is free an really good :D

[@TheAndyroo770]

I'd be very happy to see a comparison between various engineering filaments such as Carbon fill PLA, Graphene enhanced PLA, Diamond enhanced PLA, ApolloX ASA etc. Preferably filaments that print at 250° or less as that is my maximum nozzle temp!

[@JohnOCFII]

Excellent tests. I’m soon to start using a PC blend myself. This is very timely.

[@Terje338]

One of the best filament test I have seen so far. The only thing you should have tested is print speed. From my test on other filamentet the slow printspeed give mutch storger and more correct printed parts.

[@CalMariner]

This level of engineering attention is insane, and exactly what I was looking for as an engineer wanting to print decent items at home without shelling $5-10k for a nylon cut printer

[@christopherlarime4095]

I know this video is old and I am sure you are very busy but do you have any plans to do another video on PolyMax PC where you anneal it before testing. Really very interested. Thank you for all your great videos and contributions.

[@albertobassig]

Hey steffan, nice vid! Will you do a test on some other specialty filaments? Like Nylon X or Markforged's Onyx filament.

[@andrewsmith5299]

Wow love this video (and all your videos)! I am fairly new to 3d printing and am interested in learning how to properly dial in my settings for new materials. Do you know of any comprehensive guide that would include calibration of extrusion multiplier, the use of a temperature tower, and other tests I should consider? Have you considered making an in depth video focusing on how you create your slicer profiles? Thanks and keep up the good work!

[@vojtator]

It would be really nice to see a video comparision of BMG extruder vs common BMG clones (like triangle lab, dotbit, full metal mellow, transparent mellow, etc.). But I guess you have too much work to do it. Nonetheless great video as always!

[@mogelzmo]

the full metall ones are realy nice for heeted chamber printers no use as directdrive caus they are to heavy

[@Shadowlogic420]

Just subbed just getting into 3d printing myself, lot of useful info you're putting out, and i like your content. Keep it up.

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

Cool! Also check out Makers Muse.

[@mariojct1]

Hi Stefan. Didn't the Fiberthree filament on your 09/03/2019 video outperforme this PC? Please explain.

[@drumsmichael]

Hi Stefan! Gave myself a Christmas present by ordering a i3 MK3S+ :) Been binge watching your videos ever since... Great work with proper fundamentals and documentation, as well as properly explained :) Trying to put an order together to possibly print a RC car and looking a different fillaments, when I stumbled across the "Polyterra" fillament. Any chance we'll get a review on that on your channel? Cheers Michael

[@CNCKitchen]

Have fun with your MK3! It's a great machine. Haven't tried Polyterra, yet, though I'll put it on my list for this year!

[@drumsmichael]

@@CNCKitchen bester Mann! Danke ☺️

[@iopfarmer]

Very detailed and interesting analyse, as always. thank you for it!

[@ginso1]

Hello Stefan I like the way you do the tests on the filaments precise but in a way that we can understand...👌 Whatever I d'ont see nobody doing chemical tests to the filaments....I have done an intake manifold for my motorcycle but all the filaments that I printed were weak in temp ( max 100°) or gasoline tolerance. Can you make a video with these tests to see what is stronger? Keep doing your videos you are a reference for us thank you👌

[@diederickb1806]

are all your test result avialable online? i need a strong material and petg with carbon fill seems like a reasonable price/peformance solution for me, but i would love to see a summary of your tests because your methods are consistent.

[@EddieDesigned]

I'd very much like to see how delrin/POM compares to other filaments as i've yet to see any reviews on it! Its a reasonably commonly used material with some excellent properties, often used for gears etc. Thanks and keep up the good work! POM 1kg 1.75mm Black - 3D Printer Filament - FrontierFila www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FQMHZ5G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JWVADbAJX6S42

[@Johan-ul9jb]

Hmm printing POM can be very! dangerous when printed at high temperatures (I think 260c)..

[@screwyluie]

I've had people show me parts that have failed over time made from pc max. These were replacement parts for printers, so not super strenuous. I've since shied away from it and started using priline cf pc and it has been lasting longer in the same applications.

[@patrikj]

Yeah, me too. I've noticed that it seems very sensitive to any kind of solvent. This is very different from Nylons which are quite resistant to solvents, so I've been mostly using nylons for applications requiring durability.

[@CNCKitchen]

Interesting. I try to take a look at that!

[@emaayan]

I also heard about pc parts failing as printer parts, but i don't know if they were pc max, were they in an enclosure?

[@halftonhero]

Great video and very thorough! Have you had a chance to print Prusament's PC blend filament? Anxious to see if the numbers they report are realistic.

[@ZeonsZone]

Great video and informative. Having a rough time trying to print the stuff with poor bed adhesion but have a few more tunes to try out. Need to make parts for a voron build so I need the high temp resistance. Would you pick abs or polymax pc for these parts?

[@jacobelliott5792]

I'd really like to see you do some testing with Carbon Fiber infused materials such as NylonX, Onyx by Markforged, or the CarbonX line by 3DXTech. I know you did a video with the Colorfabb stuff but I didn't think that stuff was very good compared to others.

[@klemenzupancic]

Stefan thank you for your AWESOME content!! How do you remove the glue after the print from powder coated sheet, which I've seen you were using?

[@pixalz79]

Here's Polymakers recommendations: "Printing Speed: 30mm/s - 50mm/s Bed Temperature: 90˚C - 105˚C Bed Surface: MAGIGOO PC BUILDTAK Cooling Fan: OFF Drying Settings: 80˚C for 8h Recommended Support Materials: PolySupport™ When printing with PolyMax™ PC it is recommended to use an enclosure. For large part it is recommended to use a heated chamber. It is recommended to anneal the printed part right after the printing process to release the residual internal stress. Annealing settings: 100˚C for 2h"

[@ivanmitiunov4848]

Hey guys!? After watching this video, there were 600 views and only 70 likes ((. Respect and like, at least for the time spent on printing and experimenting !!!

[@micahsa15]

How about Prusament PC blend? Would love to see a review on that

[@truantray]

Given cost and print quality, PLA still seems like the sweet spot.

[@alejandroperez5368]

Is it me or you're comparing apples and pears? PLA is usually for decorative indoor stuff, a.k.a. garbage

[@MrStemkilla]

@@alejandroperez5368 i suppose PETG is still the sweet spot for most functional prints. PC and nylon based filaments are needed basically when you wish the part can be made with metal. my isssue with PC based filaments is that part quality is often sacrafised as well as the warping issues with large parts. I was hopeing this review would have tested its warp resistance to pure PC filaments

[@itonylee1]

A 100% polycarbonate print will be even more stronger. The glass heat bed provide really good bed adhesion. I preset the heat bed temperature to 125c and use torch burner to heat up the bed faster. The burner seems to be able to burn away any grease on the glass and open up the pore on the glass. With this method, the polycarbonate will stick on the glass bed like hell.......I also heard that annealing the polycarbonate will increase strength a lot.

[@lennartbruggink15]

as always, very interesting and clear video!

[@SefPinney]

Stefan: Wouldn’t it be at 11:12 that the Standing printed Hook fails earlier than 80% expected because the fixture hooks are offset from the perpendicular axis of the failing layers... so the crack would initiate and propagate right to left, rather than engage full layer area at once.

[@AndrewHelgeCox]

When printing white filaments it would be interesting to apply a black wash to make the details pop.

[@mikemike7001]

I print a lot of PC. Both PolyLite and PolyMax PC appear to be alloys of polycarbonate and other materials and don't have as high a glass transition temperature (Tg) as unalloyed polycarbonate filaments. They have a Tg of 113˚C, whereas at least one other PC filament, 3DXMAX PC from 3DXtech, has a Tg of 147°C, making it more suitable for my application, internal parts for LED lighting fixtures. Keene Villiage Plastics is another source of PC filament, which they have in blue, green, red, and yellow in addition to the more common black, white, and clear. I have printed all of these successfully on an unenclosed Prusa i3 MK3. Polymaker recommends Buildtak or Magigoo PC. In my experience, it is almost impossible to get the right nozzle height with Buildtak, and I have ruined way too many sheets of it with PC parts sticking way too well. OTOH, Magigoo PC works like, well, magic. Glue stick also works pretty well if applied heavily enough.

[@antalz]

I personally print aprintapro PC, which I believe is nearly unalloyed. It has a deformation temperature in my own testing of 130+C, whereas my testing with PC-plus showed deformation at 110C. I also share your experience with buildtak, just terrible to use and you'll tear chunks out of it frequently. I do use an enclosure that gets to 60C, I had bad experience without an enclosure. I'm getting okay results with 3DLAC on glass, but on large flat parts I still get lifting. I'd also say that moisture is a huge enemy of PC. I wanted to use PC to make items for biology labs because it can resist high enough temperatures for autoclaving, but apparently hydrolysis of the plastic still destroys it over time. Unfortunately I don't have contact with any biologists anymore.

[@mikemike7001]

@@antalz I haven't tried AprintaPro PC, which doesn't seem to available from any U.S. resellers, and trying to download its documentation from the AprintaPro website gives a 500 internal server error. There are dozens of varieties of PC pellets available, and which variety is used seems to make a significant difference in printability. So far, 3DXMAX PC is my favorite, and it is apparently made from PC pellets designed specifically for making 3D printing filament. For biology lab use, I think the problem with any 3D-printed items would be that the crevices created by the layer lines would make thorough cleaning impossible. Autoclaving would kill almost any contaminating organisms but wouldn't eliminate all chemical contamination. Not sure about hydrolysis, but there are many injection-molded polycarbonate containers of various kinds used in biology labs. Look through the Cole-Parmer catalog for lots of examples. An interesting topic to me, since I design equipment used in the pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries. So far, I haven't used any 3D-printed parts that come into product contact, but I'm itching to try it. At least one group is working on standards for their use in the pharmaceutical industry, so I may get the chance.

[@antalz]

@@mikemike7001 My current idea is basically a gravity-fed dispenser for pipette tips, so the PC would only be in contact with the outside of the tips. No contact with any fluids or stuff like that. The reason it must be autoclavable is that the tips on the inside must of course be autoclaved before use. Regarding hydrolysis, I'm getting conflicting information about this. Some sources say PC fails at autoclaving, some say it's alright for a few dozen cycles before PC becomes brittle, and others say it's totally fine. At the moment I don't have access to an autoclave so I can't really try either =[

[@mikemike7001]

@@antalz Sounds like a nice idea. Couldn't find any similar dispensers with a quick search, but you could check Thermo Fisher and other bio lab suppliers to see what tip dispensers might be available and what they're made of. Maybe you can find a "beta tester" or two online in an appropriate forum, or you could upload your model to Thingiverse or a similar site and possibly get some feedback. If polycarbonate doesn't work out, you might try PVDF, which prints at 245-265°C and can withstand 150°C but is even more expensive than PC. See www.3dxtech.com/fluorx-3d-printing-filament-made-using-kynar-pvdf/.

[@antalz]

@@mikemike7001 Thanks for pointing out PVDF, that looks like something I should be able to print. Unfortunately the polyethers (PEEK, PEKK, PEI) are out of my reach. I think what I'll do is print one out in PC, then post the idea on maybe a microbiology subreddit. What I've seen when I was still working in such a lab is that most of the plastic labware is PP, but it appears that due to injection moulding it's much more crystalline than what you'd get from 3D printing.

[@alkr8633]

a comparison between the polymax PC and the poly lite PC would be awesome

[@JeffDM]

According to a technical data sheet that's pretty hard to find, it's up to 30% not polycarbonate (they give a range and not a specific percentage). I think E3D's Sanjay said it was adulterated with PET to make it easier to print. That adulteration affects its material properties in a negative way in order to make it easier to print on drafty machines that are a very poor fit to engineering materials. I wish they were more up front about that adulteration. I'd say compare this to unadulterated PC but that's going to be hard on a sliding bed machine, and an unenclosed one at that. I bought a spool of this thinking it had thermal resistance and it really didn't, also it stress fractured after a while. I felt really let down by Polymaker.

[@EmptyPocketProductions]

Great video, I didn't see you mention printing in an enclosure? Not needed? Thanks

[@patrickspapens5497]

The good thing about PC blends is that in some cases you no longer need an enclosure. Polymax being one of them. I just ordered a spool so i will find out soon enough 😅

[@martinbirrell57]

Can you please do a review on NylonX (Nylon + Carbon Fiber Filament)?

[@Freakmaster480]

If it follows normal trends it will gain a decent ammount of stiffness but lose overall strength if its chopped carbon fiber. Not sure about continous fiber filaments

[@nocommentate9017]

It would be interesting if you compared different polycarbonate filaments (3dxtech, protopasta, etc) because they all claim really different numbers, and use different material mixes.

[@SaulHernandez-vh2rw]

Can you make a video of printing PC on Ender 3 with all metal hot-end, or what are the strongest materials you can print with Ender 3, really like your videos.

[@brycecroucher9944]

Next, you should do a review of high impact polystyrene filament so we can compare.

[@CNCKitchen]

Will do!

[@michaelyoung8857]

Maybe I missed the test but when you tested the impact strength you should test at a variety of temperatures ranging from fairly hot, room temperature and ice cold.

[@CNCKitchen]

I tested cold performance last year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWGth4usiLh4jdU Doing that for all materials is too much effort though.

[@RobertSzasz]

Perhaps heated chamber + fan would be useful? Instead of room temp air, cooling with warm air instead?

[@pajamas720]

Id like to see this tested as well. Ive heard anecdotal evidence that prints improve overal with both an enclosure and some fan cooling but no in depth analysis.

[@Fleche_FPV]

Thanks for this test !

[@diveflyfish]

Great Video. Do you think it would be possible to print TPU on top of PC max and attain layer adhesion due to similar print temp eg 250? Thank you Stephan.

[@Mike01Hu]

Another top class video!

[@jochendietrich7886]

Hallo Stephan, Was würdest du für technische Gegenstände bevorzugen? Nylon mit Carbonfasern oder polycarbonat? Könntest du ggf Mal die beiden Vergleichen? Lg

[@alessandroromagnoli7710]

Hi Stephan! I bought the Polymaker Polymax PC black to use on my 3ntr A4 v3, what do you think is the most suitable support material for the Polymaker Polymax PC ?? Need hot room?? thank you ! Alexander

[@pielandre8275]

Great video as always.

[@mechadense]

I'd be interested in long term permanent load resillience of this (and other) plastics. I had parts made from natural unpigmented colorfabb PLA-PHA blend (it has a yellowish color and is weakly translucent) unter pernanent high load conditions. Due to its translucency I could see many many micocracks near the surface that had formed without the parts breaking right away. PLA-PHA is actually a good material just not for applications with permanent high loads. Given I have no heated bed I switched to carbon fiber filled PETG (XT-CF20) as only viable seeming option. But this material is completely opaque black with rough surface. So now I can't see if cracks are forming.

[@properprinting]

A German guy who makes jokes... I love it!

Proper Printing follow Marcus Reps.

[@MrMegaPussyPlayer]

A website with all test results compiled in one chart would really be handy ... I want to get into 3D printing myself, but only for technical applications ... I already have enough nick nacks as it stands and don't need more crap collecting dust, but I have demand for all sorts of stuff you can't buy but have a use.

[@olafmarzocchi6194]

Do you use fan speed depending on layer print time? Slic3r has the option and it can help with print quality of small layers, while big ones already appear in your video to print nice at 270°C

[@OfficialNetDevil]

Just ordered 9 rolls for the farm, and gonna print a full StormTrooper or Mandalorian Armor. Which would you print? I’m looking into modifying whatever suit I print so it’ll have Rasoberry Pis and Sensors throughout the suit.

[@PRO3DESIGN]

Filamentum CPE? Did you ever review this? Please do if not - this is easy to print and has very high durability. It is very a versatile 3d-printing filament from my experience and I use it for all my production parts in mechanical applications

[@emaayan]

Isn't it just another petg variation?

[@nova3d173]

very detailed review. Great!

[@jesondag]

I tried printing parts for my 3d printer with it, and they were really brittle, and every part eventually cracked in half, not even at the layer lines, but even sometimes perpendicular. I reprinted in PETG, and it's held up perfectly. What did I do wrong? I even annealed it. 260C hot end, 100C bed, and 0% fan. I used buildtak, and a raft, and it was super stuck down, no bed lifting.

[@infernaldaedra]

How many walls are you using for your part and Infill? 100c on the bed is maybe also a bit overkill for PETG. You say you reprinted in PETG were you using a different material beforehand? If so what type and brand? Typically for decent strength 3 walls or shell perimeters is enough for most prints but I have used up to 5 for stronger parts. Also the part cooling shouldn't cause an issue with PETG you do want the fan off for the first few layers by afterwards go ahead and turn it on. PETG when it is thin is pretty flexible but with solid parts it behaves alot more like glass and can shatter it is actually a incredibly strong filament as it can take alot more abuse before breaking compared to pla.

[@Wernerrrrr]

In depth and quality review

[@eevox]

Try to keep it 1-8h above the glass transition temperature, lets say a pretty print @240°C and 20% Fan. Compare them. Should outperform everything you have seen.

[@eevox]

In an oven ofc

[@scrook1985]

Would you recommend printing this material with an enclosure? Are there issues with fumes when printing this without an enclosure? What's your experience with part strength & layer adhesion with these sorts of materials on Prusa printers with and without enclosures?

[@laurentthiol]

Super video! Great job

[@reelanmchugh8124]

It would be cool to see 5 degree increments due to some printers ( mine maxing out at 265 degrees being the flashforge adventure 4) to see the strength and print quality

[@joey1_]

I'm about to start a long print, and it's a print-in-place turtle. What's the best layer height for the print-in-place models?

[@infernaldaedra]

Depends on the model if it has ball joints maybe a higher layer height in those areas would be nice but even 0.2 has worked for very fine print in place hinges, chains, flexies and see stuff like that lower layer height might not be necessary.

[@AS-ug2vq]

It's not a polycarbonate but a polycarbonate blend, printing pure PC is very difficult.

[@theKashConnoisseur]

Yep, probably PC and PBT based on the extrusion temp and the Tg. I wish Polymaker was more transparent about it. You gotta find an MSDS before they even acknowledge it being anything but pure PC.

[@josiahong5177]

@@theKashConnoisseur It's probably not, as there is now a PC-PBT blend Polymaker makes. I think it's acrylic/ PMMA.

[@askquestionstrythings]

I've read that PC needs to be Annealed to remove residual stresses in the print. I wonder if the 270C at 15% with annealing would have higher strength?

[@zaviekucer9859]

Have you investigated injecting something into the infill to increase strength? When the print is complete inject a glue or binder into the voids in the infill?