Polymaker has announced the release of PolySonic, a series of filaments designed for high-speed printing. The move comes amidst what the company calls a “revolution” in speed-focused 3D printer design, with machines such as the Bambu Lab X1C, AnkerMake M5, Creality K1, and even open-source builds like the DIY “The 100” serving to heighten the popularity of what has been a relatively niche market.
The issue with high-speed printing, however, is the trade-off between speed and print quality. With the introduction of the PolySonic family, Polymaker believes it has found a solution via a three-pronged approach focused on extrusion, forming, and mechanical properties. The result, Polymaker claims, is a filament that brings the best of both worlds to professional and hobbyist users alike.
For now, the PolySonic series consists of two filaments. PolySonic PLA is available in five colors and can work at speeds of more than 300 mm/s without sacrificing print quality, Polymaker says. PolySonic PLA Pro, meanwhile, is a PLA with “improved toughness”, with ductility similar to ABS and stiffness that Polymaker says outperforms ASA and PETG. It’s available in two colors.
Polymaker says both filaments in the PolySonic series “can rapidly cool after extrusion with near zero shrinkage”. Users should be able to “print sharp corners, steep overhangs and long bridges” with a 50% higher volumetric flow rate than regular PLA. Polymaker also claims the filaments exhibit “only a 6% drop in mechanical properties when printing at classic speed compared to high speed”.
How the PolySonic series will hold up under real-world high-speed conditions remains to be seen, but Polymaker included a detailed “technical explainer” as part of its press materials – which highlights the science behind both filaments and produced the numbers listed above. It’s certainly a confidence booster to see a company’s homework next to its marketing. PolySonic seems like it could be a high-quality product worthy of its “high-speed” moniker.
PolySonic PLA and PLA Pro will be available for purchase on Polymaker’s website soon, where you can find further details about both filaments.
You’ve read that; now read these:
License: The text of "Polymaker Introduces PolySonic High-Speed Filament" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.