Polycarbonate is the strongest and most heat resistant of the widely available printing thermoplastics, and it is the least forgiving to print. It needs high nozzle temperatures, a hot enclosed chamber, and thorough drying, and without all three it produces weak, bubbled parts that misrepresent what the material can do.
What it demands from the machine
A high temperature hotend, a heated bed at the top of its range and, above all, a heated enclosure. Polycarbonate contracts substantially as it cools, and without a hot chamber the part delaminates or lifts. This is why printed polycarbonate is usually bought from a bureau with industrial machines rather than attempted on a general purpose printer.
Drying is mandatory
Polycarbonate absorbs moisture readily and hydrolyses at print temperature, which permanently reduces molecular weight and therefore the toughness that is the entire reason for choosing it. Wet filament also bubbles and strings visibly. The material must be dried immediately before printing and kept dry throughout, and a part printed from wet filament cannot be salvaged.
What it gives you
Real strength and stiffness, a heat deflection temperature far above PLA and PETG, and optical translucency in unfilled grades. Printed polycarbonate parts survive in enclosures, near motors and in vehicles where other filaments creep or soften. Blends with ABS trade some heat resistance for much easier printing and are frequently the sensible compromise.
Where it still disappoints
Layer bonding remains the weak plane, so the part is strong along the layers and much weaker across them, exactly as with any extruded polymer. It is notch sensitive, so a sharp corner or a scratch reduces its impact strength sharply. And it degrades under ultraviolet light, so outdoor parts need a coating or a different material.
Questions people ask about polycarbonate 3d printing service
Why is polycarbonate hard to print?
It needs high nozzle and chamber temperatures and it contracts substantially as it cools, so without a heated enclosure it warps and delaminates.
Does polycarbonate filament need drying?
Always. It absorbs moisture readily and hydrolyses at print temperature, permanently reducing toughness, and it bubbles and strings visibly when wet.
Is printed polycarbonate as strong as moulded?
Along the layers it is respectable; across them the layer bond limits it, exactly as with any extruded polymer. Moulded polycarbonate is a different proposition.
What about polycarbonate ABS blends?
They print far more easily and give up some heat resistance. For many parts they are the sensible compromise between capability and printability.