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MAT 201: Engineering Polymers

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Full course content (video lessons, exercises, downloadable files, and QR references) is part of Pro.

The preview above gives you the full course structure, learning outcomes, prerequisites, and what you will be able to do after completion. Free for everyone.

  • ✓Video lessons with real 3D printing setups
  • ✓Calibration parameters
  • ✓Downloadable STL examples + gcode profiles
  • ✓AI tutor for questions
  • ✓Completion certificate
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Engineering polymers open the door to truly functional parts – but they demand discipline in preparation, drying and process parameters. This course covers the four key families and their industrial use cases.

What you will learn

  • Structure and properties of the PA12, PC, PEEK and PEI families
  • Hygroscopy – how moisture damages the print and the part
  • Drying with filament dryers and vacuum ovens – times and temperatures
  • Hotend, nozzle and chamber requirements for high-temperature printing
  • Annealing – when it adds value and when it ruins the part
  • Comparison matrix: strength, temperature, chemical resistance
  • Certifications and regulatory requirements (UL, FDA, ISO)

Course outline

  • Lesson 1: Why engineering polymers are a different world
  • Lesson 2: Polyamides – PA6, PA12, PA-CF, PA-GF
  • Lesson 3: Polycarbonate and its blends
  • Lesson 4: PEEK and PEI – high-temperature applications
  • Lesson 5: Drying and storage of hygroscopic filaments
  • Lesson 6: Hardware requirements – all-metal hotend, chamber, nozzle
  • Lesson 7: Post-processing – annealing, smoothing, machining
  • Lesson 8: Selecting a material for a specific application

Prerequisites

Completed course-fdm101-basics and course-mat101-pla-petg, or equivalent production experience.

Outcome

You produce functional parts in PA12, PC and PEI with predictable quality, know when PEEK is worth the investment, and can justify a material choice to a client or to management.

Who it is for

R&D engineers, service-bureau technology directors, production-engineering specialists, and business owners evaluating the move into engineering-grade AM.