Polycarbonate (PC) print cost calculator
Polycarbonate is one of the strongest and most heat-resistant filaments you can print at home. It needs a hot nozzle, a hot bed and an enclosure. Drop an STL to see grams, meters and the full cost.
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- Size (X × Y × Z)
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- Volume
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- Surface area
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- Triangles
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- Mesh check
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- Build volume
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Cost estimate
| Cost | How | Amount | Share |
|---|
Printer, time & electricity
Labor, failures & markup
Polycarbonate at a glance
| Density | 1.2 g/cm³ |
|---|---|
| Typical price | $30.00–$60.00 per kg (calculator default $40.00) |
| Cost per gram | $0.04 at $40.00/kg |
| Meters per kg | 346 m (1.75 mm) · 131 m (2.85 mm) |
| Nozzle | 260–300 °C |
| Bed | 100–120 °C |
| Enclosure | Required |
What common prints cost in Polycarbonate
Estimated with 15% infill, 1.2 mm walls and 5% waste on a fast bed slinger, including electricity, machine wear and a 10% failure buffer:
| Model | Weight | Filament | Time | Material | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm calibration cube | 4.6 g | 1.59 m | 14 min | $0.18 | $0.26 |
| 50 mm sphere | 22.4 g | 7.78 m | 45 min | $0.90 | $1.17 |
| 70 mm twisted planter (sample) | 51.0 g | 17.68 m | 1 h 35 min | $2.04 | $2.62 |
| 50 mm ring (torus) | 6.9 g | 2.40 m | 18 min | $0.28 | $0.38 |
| 100 × 100 × 3 mm plate | 32.9 g | 11.40 m | 1 h 03 min | $1.32 | $1.70 |
Polycarbonate weighs about 1.2 g/cm³ and typically costs $30–60 per kilogram. Blends such as PC-ABS and PC-PBT print more easily and are often a little cheaper.
PC is printed hot and slowly with an enclosed, heated chamber, so electricity per hour is higher than for PLA and the calculator assumes about 80% of PLA speed. Warping and layer splitting cause more failed prints than with easier materials; a 15–25% failure buffer keeps your quotes honest.
Many printers need an all-metal hotend and a hardened or high-temperature build surface for PC. If you bought upgrades specifically for engineering materials, spread their cost over the hours you expect to print and add it to the machine-wear rate.
Best for
- High-strength brackets and load-bearing parts
- Parts that must survive 100 °C or more
- Transparent or impact-resistant covers
Compare materials side by side in PLA vs PETG vs ABS vs TPU vs resin, or convert Polycarbonate weight to length with the filament length calculator.
FAQ
What is the density of Polycarbonate?
About 1.2 g/cm³, so 1 cm³ of solid Polycarbonate weighs 1.2 g. Exact values vary a little by brand and additives.
How many meters are in a 1 kg spool of Polycarbonate?
About 346 m of 1.75 mm Polycarbonate, or 131 m of 2.85 mm filament.
How much does Polycarbonate cost per gram?
At $40.00 per kg, Polycarbonate costs $0.04 per gram (typical range $30.00–$60.00 per kg). A 51 g print uses about $2.04 of material.