My statistically-invalid strength test.

[rsilvers]

I just had to find out what would win a tug-o-war, so I printed these on my M2 with E3D hot end:

6 top and bottom. 4 perimeter. 0.15mm layers. 99% infill.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:104868

And then pulled them apart.





Since there is just one sample of each material, it is not statistically-valid. Ranked from best to worst for this one-non-valid test:

Polymaker Polymax (205C) $77.89 per KG
ColorFabb PLA-PHA (205C) $56.00 per KG
eSun PETG (yellow) (250C) $33.99 per KG
Taulman Tritan (275C) $90.00 per KG
ColorFabb XT (250C) $65.33 per KG
Octave ABS (230C) $31.00 per KG

Not tested yet:
Taulman 645 (245C) $70.40 per KG
GizmoDork Polycarbonate (300C) $49.99 per KG

[jimc]

Interesting. Accurate or not you can see the poor layer bonding of the tritan that they were talking about in tom s's video

[rsilvers]

Also note the fuzzies on the Tritan when printed at 275 (recommended temp for best layer bonding). Presumably I could print at 250 like I did with the other Polyesters and eliminate the fuzz.

[rsilvers]

I am kinda shocked that the advanced PLAs were harder to pull apart than the PETs.

[rsilvers]

I got some GizmoDork black PC and was able to print it on my M2 with E3D at 290C with the bed heated to 110. I used Purple glue stick on bare glass, and had no warping or lifting. Print speed was 2400 and 0.15mm layers. 99% infill at 0, 90, 45, 135, 120, and 240 degrees. 6 top and bottom layers. 4 perimeters. The parts popped off when I rinsed cold water on the bottom of the glass.



Two ABS beat one PC.
One PC beat one PolyMax.

$50 per KG. If this continues to print well, it will be a great material to have.

[insta]

I got some GizmoDork black PC and was able to print it on my M2 with E3D at 290C with the bed heated to 110. I used Purple glue stick on bare glass, and had no warping or lifting. Print speed was 2400 and 0.15mm layers. 99% infill at 0, 90, 45, 135, 120, and 240 degrees. 6 top and bottom layers. 4 perimeters. The parts popped off when I rinsed cold water on the bottom of the glass.



Two ABS beat one PC.
One PC beat one PolyMax.

$50 per KG. If this continues to print well, it will be a great material to have.

Try that print one more time but scale the part an inch tall. Tell me there's no lifting then.

[rsilvers]

I am trying a big print now - 24 hours according to Simplify. I hope it works.

This is also my first print with OctoPi with the M2.

If the big print does fail, there are still uses for PC for smaller parts. So far I like it a lot more than Nylon which strong, but soft, flexible, and fuzzy.

[rsilvers]

Big print is 0.5 lbs of Polycarbonate.

First try - got some lift off glass in one spot. That was 120C plate, inside enclosure, and 99% infill. Glue stick.

I added a brim 30 loops and 10 layers high (normally I would not do a 10-layer bring, but I had a fillet on the part that touched the glass, so I needed to in order to get above the fillet).

Second try. I cleaned the glass, did 130C plate, and put on fresh purple glue stick - didn't stick at all. Not sure if this is because the plate was so hot that the glue broke down, or I just did not use a tick enough glue layer.

Third try. I added two more layers of glue stick and made plate 120C. So far, 15 hours into the print, which is about 50% complete, and it has not failed and no lifting that I can see. Enclosure is 140F inside. I have a bunch of jackets over it to seal the door cracks and add insulation. I programmed room thermostat to stay at 70F all night. Unless I have a filament feeding problem, I think this print will succeed. If it does, then PC is usable as long as you have an enclosure and a 300C capable hot-end and you keep it dry. I will know a lot more tomorrow morning.

[rsilvers]

It all worked. A large 0.5lb part over 160mm tall printed with no warping after I added a brim. PC is good to go - at least with an enclosure and the right settings. I am testing speed now. I got a good print with a hockey-puck-like-object with 99% infill at 53mm/sec and 0.25mm layers. Now I am testing 80mm/sec and 0.320 layers to find the upper limit for 290C. That worked. The inside loops of screw holes were just starting to get detectably less nice. But a reasonable high speed setting. But for anything nice I would stay at 60 mm/sec or lower.

[insta]

It all worked. A large 0.5lb part over 160mm tall printed with no warping after I added a brim. PC is good to go - at least with an enclosure and the right settings. I am testing speed now. I got a good print with a hockey-puck-like-object with 99% infill at 53mm/sec and 0.25mm layers. Now I am testing 80mm/sec and 0.320 layers to find the upper limit for 290C. That worked. The inside loops of screw holes were just starting to get detectably less nice. But a reasonable high speed setting. But for anything nice I would stay at 60 mm/sec or lower.

man, no way.

Time to get that giant cardboard enclosure jammed onto my workbench somehow