SABIC LEXAN™ EXL Polycarbonate (PC) Resin is an amorphous thermoplastic copolymer, commonly used for its design versatility. Produced from SABIC LEXAN™ EXL PC Resin, SABIC LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is a high-impact polycarbonate filament that offers improved impact resistance and ductility.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F has been formulated to provide advantageous mechanical properties with increased ease of processing compared to other PC filaments. Providing high resistance to low temperatures and impacts, LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F meets the demands for aerospace, consumer electronics, and automotive applications.
Printing Difficulty: Intermediate
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F has been replaced by AON3D Readyprint™ PC. The print settings are different.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is extremely susceptible to moisture uptake. Bubbles, popping noises, excessive oozing, and stringing may occur if it has been hydrated.
The filament can be dried in a convection oven at 100ºC for 6 hours before processing and fed from a low humidity environment. When not in use, store in a sealed package or container with silica desiccant to inhibit moisture absorption. Properly dry the material before adjusting process parameters to obtain reliable and consistent results. Our filament dry storage and feed system setup prevents filament moisture uptake to keep the material printing process free of moisture, contact help@aon3d.com for more information.
For more information, see the Filament Drying and Moisture Control guide.
For instructions on how to inspect the AON3D build plates, refer to the Inspect and Clean Build Plates procedure.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F prints best on the PEI build sheet.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is susceptible to warping; sensitive to first layer printing. Polymer shrinkage can induce stress in the part. We recommend higher extrusion temperatures and/or slower first layer printing speeds to improve adhesion with the use of a wide brim.
First layer adhesion can be increased by increasing the Extrusion Temperature or reducing First Layer Speed. First Layer Height and First Layer Width with a value of 100-120% for both is generally sufficient for LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F. Reduce first layer adhesion if you have trouble removing the part and/or you damage the build platform during part removal.
| First Layer Extrusion Temperature | First Layer Speed |
|---|---|
| 290-310ºC | 15-25 mm/s |
For more information, see the Build Platform Adhesion guide.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F prints best directly on the High-Temperature Build Plate. LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F can also be printed on Kapton® tape with the use of Nano Polymer Adhesive, an applied adhesion aid, but requires extra attention to avoid part warping.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is susceptible to warping; sensitive to first layer printing. Polymer shrinkage can induce stress in the part. Part warping is usually more pronounced when printing on Kapton® tape but may also occur with the High-Temperature Build Plate. We recommend higher extrusion temperatures and/or slower first layer printing speeds to improve adhesion with the use of a wide brim.
First layer adhesion can be increased by increasing the Extrusion Temperature or reducing First Layer Speed. First Layer Height and First Layer Width with a value of 100-120% for both is generally sufficient for LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F. Reduce first layer adhesion if you have trouble removing the part and/or you damage the build platform during part removal.
| First Layer Extrusion Temperature | First Layer Speed |
|---|---|
| 290-310ºC | 15-25 mm/s |
For more information, see the Build Platform Adhesion guide.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F prints best directly on the High-Temperature Build Plate. LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F can also be printed on Kapton® tape with the use of Nano Polymer Adhesive, an applied adhesion aid, but requires extra attention to avoid part warping.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is susceptible to warping; sensitive to first layer printing. Polymer shrinkage can induce stress in the part. Part warping is usually more pronounced when printing on Kapton® tape but may also occur with the High-Temperature Build Plate. We recommend higher extrusion temperatures and/or slower first layer printing speeds to improve adhesion with the use of a wide brim.
First layer adhesion can be increased by increasing the Extrusion Temperature or reducing First Layer Speed. First Layer Height and First Layer Width with a value of 100-120% for both is generally sufficient for LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F. Reduce first layer adhesion if you have trouble removing the part and/or you damage the build platform during part removal.
| First Layer Extrusion Temperature | First Layer Speed |
|---|---|
| 290-310ºC | 15-25 mm/s |
For more information, see the Build Platform Adhesion guide.
For best results, process settings should be adjusted based on model geometry. If you require process development support, our Applications Engineering team can help! Send us a message at help@aon3d.com to consult with one of our Additive Manufacturing Specialists.
Optimal extrusions are shiny whereas extrusions that have been stressed appear dull. Part warpage and/or deformation may occur if internal stresses are not sufficiently managed; induced stress by polymer shrinkage. Use a nozzle size of at least 0.40 mm with lower printing speeds between 20-40 mm/s for optimal mechanical properties and print quality. LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is sensitive to printing speeds; the slower, the better. Higher extrusion temperatures and slower printing speeds help the polymer flow more easily. Keep the chamber and bed temperature relatively high to minimize the temperature gradient the part experiences, minimizing warping and stress accumulation.
Large models of high infill percentages can be difficult to print as LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is generally more susceptible to part shrinking, warping and/or deformation. Small or low-mass parts may be easier to print as there is less material to shrink and thermal management is facilitated.
| Setting | AON M2+ | AON-M2 2020 | AON-M2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extrusion Temperature | 270-310ºC | 270-310ºC | 270-310ºC |
| Bed Temperature | 140ºC | 140-150ºC | 140-150ºC |
| Chamber Temperature | 120ºC | 120ºC | 120ºC |
| Print Speed | 20-40 mm/s | 20-40 mm/s | 20-40 mm/s |
| Nozzle Size | 0.25-1.00 mm | 0.40-0.60 mm | 0.40-0.60 mm |
| Preferred Build Platform | PEI build sheet | High-Temperature Build Plate | High-Temperature Build Plate |
There is currently no compatible support material for LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F; prints require self-support. In general, support removal may be difficult as LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F bonds very well to itself. For easy support removal and good support top/bottom contact layer adhesion, use only 1 Upper/Lower Vertical Separation Layer. More than 1 separation layer may risk the supported region of the part to detach and warp.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F has high interlayer welding strength. Avoid using 0 Upper/Lower Vertical Separation Layer values as support removal may be difficult. If not, damage to the part may occur during support structure removal.
For more information, see the Using Supports and Support Materials and Dual Extrusion guides.
All AON3D-validated materials are available in the SuperSlicer configuration bundle. Refer to SuperSlicer Installation and Update to install and update the SuperSlicer software. Follow the instructions to update to the latest version to ensure you have access to all available materials.
Simplify3D® sample profiles for LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F are available in the Downloadable Assets section.
Allow all machine components to reach room temperature before proceeding further. Failure to allow components to cool down will result in thermal injury (burns) to personnel.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F parts can be peeled off of the PEI build sheet by hand at room temperature. Avoid removing prints while the PEI build sheet is still hot. If not cooled, permanent deformation of the PEI build sheet may occur when removing a large part with a lot of contact area.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F parts may separate easily from the High-Temperature Build Plate given a sudden impact with a spatula. If the build platform has been cooled, larger parts should not be difficult to remove.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F parts may separate easily from the High-Temperature Build Plate given a sudden impact with a spatula. If the build platform has been cooled, larger parts should not be difficult to remove.
Shrinkage, deformation, and warpage due to thermal shock may occur from removing the part before letting the machine cool. Instructions for removing the part from the build platform and additional support material can be found on the Build Platform Adhesion and Using Supports and Support Materials guides.
For more information on material safety and specific material properties, see the manufacturer’s website.
| Property | Value | Test Method |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.19 g/cm³ | ASTM D792 |
*All data as reported by SABIC Technical Data Sheet as downloaded on 6/10/2020. Print conditions listed on the Technical Data Sheet.
Drying of LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F is critical for optimal printing performance, but maintaining dryness is also difficult. Hydrated filament may produce stringing. Follow the drying procedure in the above Moisture Control section.
If stringing/oozing occurs even when properly dried and fed from a low humidity environment, slightly increase the Coasting Distance and/or the Retraction Speed before increasing the Retraction Distance.
LEXAN™ EXL AMHI240F becomes more viscous with the increase of extrusion temperature. Oozing parameters must be optimized to minimize the amount of material oozing in between travel movements due to pressure loss in the toolhead.