Polymaker PolySonic PLA Pro Filament

PolySonic™ PLA Pro is a durable PLA filament that allows for incredibly fast printing speeds. Thanks to its advanced formulation, this filament produces strong, rugged prints with impact resistance comparable to ABS and bending strength that surpasses ASA and PETG. When speed matters for functional parts, PolySonic™ PLA Pro is the perfect choice for you.

What is a High Speed Filament?

A filament is classified as High Speed if it meets the following three criteria at a given printing temperature:

1. Flowability: It can consistently extrude at 24 mm³/s on a common extrusion system.
(This corresponds to about 300 mm/s printing speed with a 0.2 mm layer height and 0.4 mm nozzle.)

2. Formability: At 24 mm³/s, it maintains similar surface quality, overhang, and bridging performance as when printed at lower speeds.

3. Functionality: At 24 mm³/s, it retains at least 80% of its mechanical properties compared to printing at lower speeds—specifically layer adhesion, tensile strength, and impact strength.

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PolySonic™ PLA at 230°C

Maximum flow rate: 24 mm³/s* (tested on a customized extrusion system with E3D volcano hotend, 0.4 mm nozzle, and Hemera XS extruder)

Surface quality: Confirmed similar by Polymaker scientists when printing at both 4 mm³/s and 24 mm³/s

Mechanical properties retention:

Layer adhesion: 33.6 MPa at 4 mm³/s → 31.9 MPa at 24 mm³/s (95% maintained)

Tensile strength: 41.2 MPa → 39.3 MPa (95% maintained)

Impact strength: 22.7 kJ/m² → 19.4 kJ/m² (85% maintained)

* Maximum flow is defined as the flow rate at which the actual extrusion flow drops below 95% of the requested value.

Note:

At 0.2 mm layer height with 0.4 mm nozzle, 24 mm³/s equals approximately 300 mm/s printing speed.

At 0.1 mm layer height with 0.4 mm nozzle, 24 mm³/s corresponds to about 600 mm/s.

Advantages of Using a High Speed Filament

1) Surface Quality at High Speed:
When printing at high speeds, the nozzle speed varies widely—from 0 mm/s up to the maximum speed set in the slicer. The greater this speed range, the more variation in extrusion temperature occurs since the printing temperature remains constant. This causes uneven surface finishes (from glossy to matte) due to a phenomenon known as Shark Skin. High Speed filaments minimize these surface finish variations, maintaining a consistent look across a wide range of flow rates.
Moreover, High Speed filaments extrude more consistently within the speed range, producing smooth surfaces, while regular filaments tend to show holes, artifacts, and uneven layer thickness.

2) Mechanical Properties at High Speed:
High Speed filaments exhibit significantly better mechanical properties when printed fast compared to regular filaments. This is due to more consistent extrusion and an optimized polymer melting and cooling process, resulting in stronger layer adhesion, tensile strength, and impact resistance.

3) Higher Throughput:
Because of the superior surface quality and mechanical performance at high speeds, you can produce the same quality parts much faster. This is a key advantage for businesses relying on 3D printing to manufacture products efficiently.

Printing and Drying Settings:

Printing Temperature:

Classic: 190°C – 230°C

High Speed: 210°C – 230°C

Printing Speed:

Classic: 50 mm/s – 100 mm/s

High Speed: 100 mm/s – 300 mm/s

Bed Temperature: 25°C – 60°C
Cooling Fan: ON

Retraction Settings:

Direct Drive:

Retraction Distance: 1 mm

Retraction Speed: 20 mm/s

Indirect Drive (Bowden):

Retraction Distance: 3 mm

Retraction Speed: 40 mm/s

Drying Settings:

55°C for 6 hours (only if the filament has absorbed moisture).

Spool Dimensions:

0.5 kg Cardboard Spool:

Inner Hole Diameter: 55 ± 1 mm

Spool Diameter: 200 ± 1 mm

Spool Width: 65.6 ± 2 mm

Spool Weight: 190 ± 7 g

0.75 kg Cardboard Spool:

Inner Hole Diameter: 55 ± 1 mm

Spool Diameter: 200 ± 1 mm

Spool Width: 50.6 ± 2 mm

Spool Weight: 125 ± 7 g

1 kg Cardboard Spool:

Inner Hole Diameter: 55 ± 1 mm

Spool Diameter: 200 ± 1 mm

Spool Width: 65.6 ± 2 mm

Spool Weight: 140 ± 7 g

2 kg Cardboard Spool:

Inner Hole Diameter: 55 ± 1 mm

Spool Diameter: 250 ± 1 mm

Spool Width: 117.2 ± 2 mm

Spool Weight: 370 ± 18.5 g

3 kg Cardboard Spool:

Inner Hole Diameter: 55 ± 1 mm

Spool Diameter: 250 ± 1 mm

Spool Width: 117.2 ± 2 mm

Spool Weight: 425 ± 21.3 g

5 kg Plastic Spool:

Inner Hole Diameter: 32 ± 1 mm

Spool Diameter: 300 ± 1 mm

Spool Width: 160 ± 1 mm

Spool Weight: 819 ± 30 g

Spool Material: PP (Polypropylene).