PC eSUN ePC filament

Just ordered some from INTSERVO here in N.C. and will be trying it out as soon as it arrives. It is a blend of Polycarbonate and something else that helps minimize warping. Polycarbonate is supposedly worse than ABS if not blended somehow. Looks to be stronger than PETG if you extrude at around 250 - 260°C. It also has a Tg over 20°C higher than ABS and is also fire retardant. Currently only available in Natural. Color changes the properties of a filament so since this is new Natural is the only available color. Here is the info:

http://www.intservo.com/products/esun-epc-polycarbonate-filament-0-5kg-spool?variant=5294527043

A lot of the Makergear guys are raving about this. Saying things like, if it came in solid colors they would abandon ABS altogether.

One last note, although the link aboves mentions fireproof, it is not, the filament is only fire-retardant.

 

Eh, PC warped for me a bit if the bed was not hot enough. Nothing quite as bad as ABS.

In all fairness though the batch I tried was from a less than reputable source so I can't say for certain what it might have actually been in terms of 'blended' versus non.

Looking forward to your findings.

 

Out of the package:
This ePC filament appears very consistent. I measured it along about 3 meters (10 feet) and it was 1.71 mm all along at every location measured. With eSUN PETG I have found that there are little ridges on the filament, it is not completely smooth. ePC on the other hand is completely smooth with no rough texture. Of course t since this is their first run of Polycarbonate filament it is only available in a natural color (nearly clear). It does appear clearer than PETG.

Test setup:
I located a few filament profiles for this on the Makergear forum and am test printing a few calibration items. Starting out with a 260° column and dropping the temps 5°C every 10 mm, down to 240°C. Bed temperature is the same as ABS at 100°C. Speed is around 65 mm/s. Fan is off to encourage a good interlayer bond. Test models are printed at 0.2 mm layer height. Printing on glass bed with only hairspray applied. First print is in VASE mode second with two perimeters.

RAMPS board died during test print will update as soon as replacement board arrives

 

Still haven't had much of a chance to test as my Robo in a current state of disrepair. Wasn't RAMPS, was bad Power Supply. New one in in hand but now waiting on a package of JST-PH 6-pin crimp connectors to make up a new stepper motor cable end, all the while adjusting the X Axis rails to get them to work with the newly installed self-aligning, self-lubricating sintered bronze bearings I used to replace the LU8UU in the X-Carriage.

 

Yes, they sent me that too. I think they are struggling with their Nylon filament sales wise, hard to compete with Taulman. Their Nylon is a nylon 6 composite. The ePC is polycarbonate, totally different filaments. Most of the eSun on Amazon comes from Intservo. I believe they are the US distributor of eSUN. Also since they ship free over $60.00, if you buy three or more spools at a time you can actually save a few dollars over Amazon going direct to Intservo. Plus they almost always ship a sample of something with your orders.

 

I just don't know how it compares, I still have it in the Foodsaver vacuum seal bag it shipped in. Alloy 910 is very good, but it is not Nylon 6, it is some other variety.

 

My opinion...

Alloy 910 is much more rigid than any other nylon I have tired. About the only thing it has that resembles printing with nylon is the use of the heated bed or you can get some minor warp on the first few layers.

 

But like all nylon blends, Alloy 910 has a rather low Tg, so that is why I am experimenting with ePC.

 

I have a couple of different types of PC I am currently playing with. It seems to be a real good option if you need the extra strength, but it do need to run it hot. There are a few other things I am trying to get sorted with it. So far I do like it, but it is not really what I would call a general use type of material. Seems to have far less problems than ABS.

 

I would still classify polycarbonate and nylon, both, as exotic filaments, not for everyday use. My desire to try PC was to replace all the parts inside the build area of my second printer. They are currently printed in PETG, used for ease of printing, and okay in an open build chamber. But I want to enclose the entire printer and I think the higher than ABS Tg of PC will be of benefit.

 

Good luck. Almost all nylon is flexible to a degree. It is sort-of a 'feature' of that material.

Someone was working on a polyamide 6 filament that was supposed to be less flexible.
Just experiment.