Material · Engineering Plastics
Polycarbonate (PC)
Transparent armor: machine guards, viewports and light guides that survive real impacts.
Price index: $
Material properties
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 66 MPa |
| Yield strength | ~62 MPa |
| Hardness | R118 (Rockwell) |
| Density | 1.20 g/cm³ |
Choose it when
Impact resistance governs and the part must stay transparent — PC bends and survives where acrylic shatters, and it takes vapor or mechanical polishing to optical clarity.
Look elsewhere when
Scratch resistance or maximum optical clarity matters more than impact (choose PMMA), or the part sees solvents and sustained stress — PC is prone to stress cracking.
Compatible finishes
As-Machined
The baseline finish: straight off the machine, fastest and cheapest.
Polishing
Progressive abrasives down to mirror: the finish for optics, molds and show surfaces.
Wet Painting
Any color, any gloss, any substrate: the flexible coat for plastics and appearance prototypes.
Silk Screening
The multi-color marking: inked legends and logos where laser’s single tone is not enough.
Typical applications
- Machine guards and safety windows
- Camera and sensor viewports
- Light guides and instrument covers
- Electrical insulators where visibility matters
Compared with similar grades
| Property | Polycarbonate (PC) | ABS | Nylon PA6 | Nylon PA66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 66 MPa | 40 MPa | 79 MPa (dry) | 83 MPa (dry) |
| Yield strength | ~62 MPa | ~40 MPa | ~79 MPa (dry) | ~83 MPa (dry) |
| Hardness | R118 (Rockwell) | R105 (Rockwell) | R119 (Rockwell, dry) | R120 (Rockwell, dry) |
| Density | 1.20 g/cm³ | 1.05 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ |
| Price index | $ | $ | $ | $ |
| Machinability | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
Have a part in mind?
Upload your CAD file and get a price range in about 60 seconds. NDA-protected from the first byte.
Get instant estimate