Polycarbonate (PC) vs ABS: which is better and how they differ
Choose a printer
What to choose
Pick Polycarbonate (PC) if:
- you are ready to dry the spool before printing
Pick ABS if:
- you want it to print on any printer — nozzle up to 250 °C, lower than Polycarbonate (PC)
- no drying needed before printing
Parameters
Printing
Nozzle temperature
250–290 °C
230–250 °C
Bed temperature
90–120 °C
90–110 °C
Drying before printing
Recommended
No
Requirements
Enclosure
Recommended
Recommended
Hardened nozzle
No
No
All-metal hotend
Required
Required
Properties
Density
1.2 g/cm³
1.04 g/cm³
Applications
Typical uses
High-strength heat-resistant parts: loaded housings, protective elements.
Strong functional parts, heat-resistant enclosures, items finished with acetone smoothing.
Pick a type