PCTG is related to PETG, but made to absorb impact. A housing that falls off the bench, a cover a trolley runs into, a guard around a machine: where PETG can crack, PCTG more often stays whole. On the materials page it scores higher than PETG for impact resistance.
Without load PCTG holds about 65 C and under load about 50 C (the heat deflection temperature from the manufacturer minus a 10 C margin). That is plenty for parts that stay at room temperature, but under load lower than PETG, which holds about 65 C. PCTG also comes in transparent. Printed, transparent means light-transmitting, not glass clear: you can see whether a lamp is lit, not sharply what stands behind it.
Typical work: housings for electronics and sensors, covers and guards, viewing windows, protective parts and holders that take the odd knock.
When PCTG does not fit: if the part gets warmer than about 50 C while it carries force, it deforms; choose PC or ASA, or for more heat still a fibre-reinforced nylon (PPA-GF and PPA-CF work too, but only after annealing, on request). If it stays outdoors in the sun for long, choose ASA. And if it sits under a constant force for months, PCTG slowly gives way, just like PETG; there too PC is the better choice.
Colour and lead time
We buy PCTG per order, not for stock; black is our standard colour, at no extra cost. The colour range is also a strength: use colour as a code, for example a blue and a red grip on adapters that must be connected in a set sequence, per the documentation. Choose another colour from the manufacturer's range, or transparent, and we order it in for your order.
Because the material is ordered for your job, PCTG fits inside the Standard lead time: production starts from 5 business days. The quote tool shows which speeds are possible for this material. A colour other than black carries a one-time sourcing cost, however many colours you choose: we charge it only once per order.