You might be raising an eyebrow at the headline, thinking it’s too good to be true. Can polycarbonate really deliver better results than ABS, especially on a printer like the K1 known for speed and sometimes challenging material compatibility? Let the evidence speak for itself:
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These parts, showcasing the intricate details of a Benchy, were printed using budget-friendly polycarbonate filament on a standard Prusa i3 Mk2s. The secret? Just a simple glue stick and a set of unconventional Slic3r settings. If you’re familiar with the challenges of printing ABS on your K1 or similar printers, prepare to be amazed by what polycarbonate can offer.
Polycarbonate, the material behind bulletproof glass, is notorious for its printing difficulties. Often, attempts to 3D print with PC result in subpar outcomes, plagued by warping and delamination, issues familiar to those struggling with ABS print settings. However, the key lies in rethinking our approach to printing this “king of filaments.”
For users seeking robust and dimensionally accurate parts, polycarbonate emerges as a compelling alternative to ABS, PETG, and even nylon. While PLA remains the go-to for aesthetic prints, polycarbonate truly shines in functional applications demanding strength and durability, potentially even surpassing the capabilities of optimized Abs Print Settings On K1 for certain applications.
The dimensional accuracy achieved with polycarbonate, using these refined settings, is remarkable. Imagine parts fitting together perfectly, right off the print bed. This precision surpasses even the original ABS parts in many 3D printers. Beyond fit, polycarbonate boasts flame retardance, high-temperature resistance, and an exceptional combination of strength, rigidity, and toughness. If you’re looking for an upgrade from ABS for your functional prints, especially on a printer where ABS settings can be finicky, polycarbonate is worth serious consideration.
The strength of polycarbonate parts printed with these settings is genuinely impressive. The Benchy in the images? Virtually indestructible by hand. Attempts to break or even visibly flex it prove futile, a stark contrast to the often brittle nature of ABS and even some PETG prints. This robustness positions polycarbonate as a superior material for demanding applications where ABS might fall short, even with optimized ABS print settings.
Overcoming Polycarbonate Printing Challenges: A Shift in Strategy
Initial experiences with polycarbonate are often frustrating: severe warping, making printing without an enclosure seem impossible, and dreadful layer adhesion. Parts printed with standard approaches tend to delaminate and crumble easily, despite printing at seemingly maximum temperatures. These are issues that resonate with many users trying to dial in perfect ABS print settings on their K1, where enclosure and temperature control are often crucial.
The breakthrough came from realizing that temperature isn’t the only critical factor. Polymer bonding, especially in polycarbonate, relies on both temperature and pressure. Traditional 3D printing emphasizes temperature, using pressure primarily for first-layer bed adhesion – a technique also vital for successful ABS printing.
The insight? By increasing pressure during layer deposition, we can achieve strong bonding at lower temperatures, potentially mitigating warping and delamination. This shift in focus is key to unlocking polycarbonate’s potential, much like understanding the nuances of pressure and cooling can elevate your ABS print settings on a K1.
And it worked, exceeding expectations. This success required stepping outside conventional 3D printing wisdom, particularly in layer height and extrusion width.
The Secret Sauce: Wide Extrusion and Volumetric Flow
The key to these robust polycarbonate prints lies in these unconventional settings: a 0.200mm layer height combined with a significantly wider 0.75mm extrusion width. While aiming for an even wider 0.8mm (a 4:1 aspect ratio), a 3.75:1 ratio proved more reliable without sacrificing strength.
This large aspect ratio forces the extruder to effectively “iron” the filament into the print bed, generating substantial pressure and improving thermal interface. This increased contact area allows the nozzle to inject more heat into the print, further enhancing layer adhesion and overall print quality. This technique, while different from typical ABS print settings, addresses similar challenges of layer adhesion and part strength, but with polycarbonate’s superior material properties.
Importantly, narrower extrusion widths can still be used for external perimeters to maintain fine detail. This approach offers the best of both worlds: strength and detail, a balance often sought after when optimizing ABS print settings as well.
The main trade-off with this method is a reduced tolerance for incorrect extrusion multipliers. Fine-tuning the extrusion multiplier becomes crucial to ensure proper layer bonding without over-extrusion. However, the signs of incorrect settings are readily apparent within the first couple of layers: look for well-melted layers without gaps or excessive “bumps” of plastic. This sensitivity to extrusion multiplier is a factor to consider, similar to the meticulous calibration often required for optimal ABS print settings on K1.
The Unexpected Benefit: Warp Recovery
Interestingly, printing polycarbonate with these settings exhibits a “warp recovery” phenomenon. Even significant warping during printing might self-correct as subsequent layers are laid down. Unlike ABS, polycarbonate layers appear less compressible, allowing the nozzle to effectively force warped sections back into position. This warp recovery is a unique and valuable characteristic, especially when dealing with complex geometries and overhangs.
Consider a part requiring supports, like the example with a square cutout. Severely warped sections, detached from supports and seemingly beyond saving, were ultimately corrected during the print. The finished part shows no trace of warping, demonstrating polycarbonate’s surprising ability to recover from deformation during the printing process.
Why Choose Polycarbonate Over ABS?
For users seeking alternatives to ABS, especially those striving for robust prints on printers like the K1, polycarbonate offers compelling advantages:
- Superior Strength and Durability: Outperforms ABS in impact resistance, tensile strength, and overall toughness.
- Enhanced Dimensional Accuracy: Prints with remarkable precision, leading to better fitting parts compared to ABS.
- Higher Temperature Resistance: Withstands significantly higher temperatures than ABS, making it suitable for demanding environments.
- Flame Retardant Properties: Offers inherent flame retardance, a crucial safety feature in certain applications.
- Warp Recovery: The unique warp recovery characteristic simplifies printing complex geometries and reduces print failures.
While ABS remains a widely used material, polycarbonate, when printed with optimized settings, presents a significant upgrade in performance and reliability, potentially offering “K1-level results” in terms of speed and print quality, but with superior material properties.
Bed Adhesion and Essential Settings
Bed adhesion with polycarbonate, surprisingly, is straightforward: a simple glue stick works exceptionally well. Applying a layer of glue and allowing it to dry slightly, or applying it hot and waiting a couple of minutes, ensures strong adhesion comparable to PETG. Reapplication isn’t usually necessary for each print.
Key Settings to Note:
- Linear Advance: Essential for these settings. Ensure your firmware is up to date and Linear Advance is enabled.
- K-Factor: The K-factor is intentionally set higher than default polycarbonate profiles.
- Extrusion Multiplier: Requires careful calibration for your specific printer and filament.
These settings, while unconventional, unlock the full potential of polycarbonate, delivering prints that surpass ABS in strength, accuracy, and durability. While initially tested on a Prusa i3 Mk2s, the principles of pressure-based printing and wide extrusion can be adapted and explored on other printers, including those like the K1, to achieve similarly impressive results.
Final Note: These specific wide extrusion settings are optimized for polycarbonate and are not recommended for ABS or PETG. They appear to be uniquely suited to polycarbonate’s material properties.
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