Engineering

PC: full cost overview

Polycarbonate is the highest-temperature consumer filament — survives 110 °C+ before deforming, and is one of the toughest engineering plastics in impact resistance. Demands an enclosed heated chamber and a high-flow hotend. Used in functional parts that face heat or impact.

Specs

Typical price: ~$45.00/kg
Print temperature: 260–300 °C
Bed temperature: 100–120 °C
Enclosed chamber: Recommended
Food-safe: No
Difficulty: ★★★★★

When to use

• Parts near heat sources (electronics, motors)
• High-impact functional pieces
• Engineering prototypes for thermal testing
• Replacement parts for OEM components

When NOT to use

• Printers without active heated chamber
• Cosmetic prints (PC is matte and tough to finish)
• Beginner setups (high failure rate)
• Food contact (most PC isn't food-safe)

Sample calculation

For a 50 g part on a Bambu Lab A1, 6 h print time and 8% failure rate. Currency follows your selection at the top.

Filament$2.25
Energy$0.14
Amortization$0.15
Failures (8%)$0.20
Unit Cost$2.74
Final Consumer Price (3× / 6% / 2%)$11.93

Best printers for PC

These models in our catalog handle PC reliably out of the box — picked by enclosure, hotend temperature and drive system, not marketing.

PC head-to-heads

Filament showdown
PC vs Nylon

ABS

~$22.00/kg · 230–260 °C

ASA

~$30.00/kg · 240–260 °C

Nylon

~$45.00/kg · 240–270 °C