Polycarbonate prints at about 285 °C with a 110 °C bed and 0% part cooling. Usable range 260–305 °C nozzle, 95–125 °C bed. Needs an enclosure.
PC
Starting settings
Nozzle
260–305 °C (start 285)
Bed
95–125 °C (start 110)
Part fan
0–15% (start 0%)
Wall speed
25–40 mm/s
Max volumetric flow
8 mm³/s
Shrinkage
0.7%
Softens at
147 °C
Enclosure
Required
Nozzle size
0.4 mm or larger — 0.6 mm recommended
Nozzle material
Brass is fine
Drying
90 °C for 6 h, and print straight from the dryer
Speed
Slower, 25–40 mm/s. High temperature combined with speed magnifies warping force, and PC already warps hard enough to pull a plate.
Bed surface
PEI with a glue-stick separator, or garolite. PC will otherwise weld to the sheet and take chunks of it with the part.
Nozzle
Must be an ALL-METAL hotend regardless of size — PTFE decomposes at these temperatures. 0.6 mm helps with flow consistency.
What bites people
Needs nozzle temperatures above 260 °C, which is past the safe limit of a stock PTFE-lined hotend. An all-metal hotend is a prerequisite, not an upgrade.
Extremely strong and heat resistant, and extremely unforgiving of a cool chamber. Warping force is high enough to pull a plate.
Safety
PTFE decomposes above roughly 260 °C and releases toxic fumes. Do NOT run PC through a PTFE-lined hotend.
Bed above 100 °C and nozzle near 300 °C. Both cause instant burns.