Materials / Compare
FDM HIPS vs. Plastic Polycarbonate
Compare FDM HIPS vs. Plastic Polycarbonate strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | not given (tensile used) | 65MPasourcetypical, tensile yield |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 18.4MPasourcetypical | 65MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | 31.8MPasourcetypical | 97MPasourcetypical, flexural strength |
| Elongation at break | 1.4%sourcetypical | 125%sourcetypical, strain at break |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.59GPasourcetypical | 2.4GPasourcetypical1.51x stiffer |
| Density | 1,023kg/m³sourcetypical17% lighter | 1,200kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 18kN·m/kg | 54.2kN·m/kg3.01x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.55MN·m/kg | 2MN·m/kg29% higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.38sourcetypical, polycarbonate family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 0.87GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 3.33GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,246m/s | 1,414m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical | 0.2W/m·Ksourcetypical, through-plane, 23 C |
| Thermal expansion | 80µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical | 65µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 23-55 C, parallel and normal |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 400µm growth | 325µm growth23% less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 1,172J/kg·Ksourcetypical (guide value), Bayer ASTM datasheet for Makrolon 2405, ASTM D 2766 |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.142mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 51.7W/m |
| Glass transition | 99°Csourcetypical | 144°Csourcetypical, DSC 10 C/min |
| Max service temperature | 86°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | 125°CsourceUL 746B RTI, tensile strength, 1.5 mm |
| Values for | BASF Forward AM (BASF 3D Printing Solutions) Ultrafuse HiPS, TDS v2.2 (13.11.2019), printed specimens, XY 'Flat'. Specimen print settings are not stated; recommended processing on the sheet: nozzle 240-260 °C, bed 100-120 °C, 40-80 mm/s. Product is discontinued (Forward AM product page) but the TDS is still served by Forward AM. | Covestro Makrolon 2405 general-purpose PC (MVR 19), Covestro technical datasheet version 2026-09-28, typical values |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
FDM HIPS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM HIPS stronger than Plastic Polycarbonate?
Plastic Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 65 MPa against tensile strength 18.4 MPa for FDM HIPS (3.53x).
Which is lighter, FDM HIPS or Plastic Polycarbonate?
FDM HIPS is lighter: 1,023 kg/m³ against 1,200 kg/m³ for Plastic Polycarbonate.
Which is stiffer, FDM HIPS or Plastic Polycarbonate?
Plastic Polycarbonate is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.4 GPa against 1.59 GPa for FDM HIPS, so the same part in Plastic Polycarbonate deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM HIPS or Plastic Polycarbonate?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM HIPS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM HIPS | Plastic Polycarbonate |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 29% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 5% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.01x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1.98x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.6x heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, FDM HIPS or Plastic Polycarbonate?
Plastic Polycarbonate conducts heat better: 0.2 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM HIPS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic Polycarbonate expands less: 65 µm/m·K against 80 µm/m·K for FDM HIPS.