3D print cost calculator / Polycarbonate (PC)
Polycarbonate print cost calculator
PC is one of the strongest and most heat-resistant desktop filaments. It needs high temperatures, an enclosure and patience.
Typical spool price
$40–60 per kg
Density
about 1.2 g/cm³
Nozzle / bed
260–310 °C / 100–120 °C
Enclosure
Required
Typical published ranges. Check your own spool, printer and electricity bill.
Estimated cost per print
$11.71
- Material
- $6.00
- Electricity
- $0.25
- Printer wear
- $0.72
- Labor
- $3.33
- Failed-print buffer
- $1.40
An estimate from the numbers you enter. It leaves out packaging, shipping, marketplace fees and tax.
Worked example
120 g at $50.00 per 1000 g, 6 h at 260 W and $0.16/kWh, a $600.00 machine over 5,000 h, 10 min of hands-on time at $20.00/h and a 12% failed-print buffer works out to about $11.71 per good print: material $6.00, electricity $0.25, printer wear $0.72, labor $3.33, failures $1.40.
What drives the cost
- High temperatures mean the highest power draw of any common filament.
- It warps easily, so plan on a 10%+ failure buffer at first.
Common uses
- Heat-exposed brackets
- Light covers and diffusers
- High-strength jigs
Watch out for
- Not every hotend reaches 300 °C. Check your printer's limits.
Know your cost. Now check the demand.
A low cost per print is only half the decision. MeshNomics helps makers compare model interest and marketplace signals, review commercial-use permissions and evaluate production costs before committing printer time and money.
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