POLYCARBONATE (PC)
- Polycarbonate (PC) is a thermoplastic with high toughness, excellent impact strength and good machinability. Can be optically transparent
About Polycarbonate Material
Polycarbonate (known also by the abbreviation PC) is one of the most common plastics used in manufacturing. It is strong, tough, and can be transparent.Famous examples of the material are first-generation MacBook laptops, safety goggles, and optical disks.
Polycarbonate is heat-resistant, impact-resistant, flame-retardant, and one of the most recycled plastics in the world.
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Materials
Quick Overview
Processes | Lead Time | Color | Tolerance | Price | Applications |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CNC Machining | As fast as 3 days | Transparent | With drawing: as low as +/- 0.005 mm No drawing: ISO 2768 medium | Qty & Precision dependent | Impact-resistant applications, production-like parts (pre-injection molding) |
3D Printing | 2-4 Days based on size | Translucent | FDM – 150 µm SLA – 40 µm |
Lowest in market | Strength & complex geometries |
Injection Molding | 20-30 Days | Transparent | As low as +/- 0.030 mm | Qty & Precision dependent | High strength, Good surface finish. |
Materials
Design Recommendations
Services Name | Max Size | Min Size | Min Thickness | Undercuts | Radii Depth |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
For CNC Machining | Max Part Size: 600 mm | Min End Mill Size: 0.8 mm | Min Wall Thickness: 0.5 mm | Undercuts: Square profile, full radius, dovetail profiles | Radii: Depth: Depth must not exceed 12x drill bit diameter. For end mills, depth must not exceed 10x tool diameter. |
For 3D Printing | Max Part Size: 500x500x500 mm | Min Hole size : 1 mm | Min Wall Thickness: 1 mm | Min Feature Size : 3 mm | Recommended fillet & Chamfer angles : > 45 Deg |
For Molding | Max Part Size: 500x500x500 mm | Min Hole size : 0.5 mm | Min Wall Thickness: 0.5 mm | Ribs should be 40-60% the thickness of outer walls and should still maintain draft | Minimum draft angle of 0.5°, or up to 5°, for faces with medium textures |
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Does transparent polycarbonate turn yellow ?
The polycarbonate sheets without UV protection fail prematurely as they turn yellow. … In most circumstances, polycarbonate materials without a UV protection acquire a yellow color which not only reduces their aesthetic value, but, also reduces their overall performance in all applications.
How long does polycarbonate last ?
Most Polycarbonates are made to last around ten years.
Is polycarbonate better than acrylic?
Polycarbonate is the stronger material at 250 times the impact resistance of standard glass. Polycarbonate offers much more resilience than acrylic, making it ideal for highly demanding applications like bullet-resistant windows. … Acrylic is also easier to crack, while polycarbonate is easier to scratch.
Can you laser cut polycarbonate ?
Polycarbonate is a poor choice for laser cutting. … It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid.
What is the melting temperature of polycarbonate ?
260-310 °C
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Think3D has been a great partner for us in supplying COVID-19 test cartridges on-time despite the pandemic challenges. When we came up with a new requirement needing a workforce of more than 25 people, think3D took up the challenge and arranged the workforce within 2 days. I highly recommend think3D for any manufacturing needs.
Sanket Srivatsav
Production In-Charge, Molbio
As a professor doing research on new materials, I needed a strong industry partner to assist us. think3D perfectly fit that bill. think3D team is highly knowledgeable on all manufacturing technologies and the team is very prompt in responding to all our requests. My research has been very successful, thanks to think3D team.
Dr. Karthik Chetan V
Asst. Professor, BITS Pilani
We found issue with one part at the time of assembly and needed a quick replacement. think3D team has quickly responded to our request, redesigned the part and printed it using metal 3D Printing and delivered in 3 days time. The part came out really well and the design was better than that of the actual one.
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Senior Manager (IMM), BDL