Polycarbonate
High toughness, excellent impact strength, transparent.
- Common grades
- Standard clear PC · Glass-filled PC · FDA / medical-grade PC
- Machinability
- Polycarbonate is transparency with toughness: roughly 250 times the impact resistance of glass.
- Tolerances
- Agreed per grade at DFM: engineering plastics move with temperature and moisture, so critical fits are toleranced feature by feature
- Processes
- CNC milling, CNC turning and 5-axis machining
- Finishes
- Edge and surface polishing · Annealing · Bead blasting
- Used in
- Optics, Medical, Automotive
- Certification
- Manufacturer certificate of conformance and lot traceability with every shipment
Machining Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is transparency with toughness: roughly 250 times the impact resistance of glass. Machine guards, sight windows, instrument covers and safety enclosures are its natural territory: anywhere a clear part must survive abuse.
It machines predictably with sharp tooling and cool cutting, but it is notch-sensitive and stress-cracks in contact with many solvents and oils. We machine generous radii, anneal where geometry concentrates stress, and advise on chemical exposure early.
We hold ±0.05 mm on critical PC features and restore optical clarity on machined edges by polishing where the drawing calls for it.
Common Grades We Machine
- Standard clear PC - The general-purpose optical-clarity grade for guards and windows.
- Glass-filled PC - Stiffer and more dimensionally stable for structural parts, at the cost of clarity.
- FDA / medical-grade PC - Certified grades for medical device and food-contact applications.
Applications by Industry
- Optics - instrument windows, covers and light-guide components.
- Medical - clear device housings and fluid-path components in certified grades.
- Automotive - light covers, guards and clear functional prototypes.
Surface Finishing Options
- Edge and surface polishing - machined surfaces returned to optical clarity.
- Annealing - stress relief that prevents solvent crazing and cracking at machined features.
- Bead blasting - a uniform frosted finish for diffusers and non-glare surfaces.
See our surface finishing services for the full range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can machined polycarbonate be optically clear?
Yes. machined faces and edges are polished back to transparency. For the flattest optical surfaces we machine from polished sheet and protect the original faces.
Why did a PC part crack near a machined hole?
Almost always chemical attack on residual machining stress: many oils and solvents craze stressed PC. Annealing after machining plus attention to what contacts the part prevents it.
Polycarbonate or acrylic for a clear part?
PC for impact strength and temperature; acrylic (PMMA) for better optical clarity, scratch resistance and UV stability. Guards want PC; display and optical parts usually want acrylic.
Precision Polycarbonate Manufacturing in Singapore
Need complex Polycarbonate parts manufactured to tight tolerances? Explore our 5-axis simultaneous CNC machining, CNC milling, CNC turning and certified ISO Class 6–8 cleanroom assembly capabilities.
Speak with Our Sales & Engineering Team
Explore how Shine's Singapore precision CNC machining and cleanroom assembly integrate into your global supply chain. We welcome technical consultations, mutual NDAs, and facility audits.
- Mutual NDA executed within 24 hours
- ISO 9001:2015 certified & Cyber Essentials mark
- 24–48h engineering DFM feedback & formal RFQ pricing