ABS

ABS filaments were among the first, together with PLA, to enter the 3D printing material industry. As it was known for its good mechanical and thermal properties by the plastic industry, this material is not well suited for the 3D printing industry because of its bad printability. A popular use case of ABS was its ease of g postprocessing with acetone fumes. This dangerous and hazardous process can now be avoided by combining PolySmooth (PVB) filaments with isopropyl alcohol (and optionally the Polysher machine). 

Printability of ABS filament

ABS is a hard-to-print material, and to be honest, there is almost always a better alternative to ABS. In the past years, PETG has been rapidly taking over ABS as it is much easier to print with and features similar mechanical properties. Printing ABS requires an enclosure, a strong adhesive, and a very hot hotbed (at least 100°C). ABS tends to warp a lot, and therefore we recommend printing only smaller parts. ABS cannot be cooled, as cooling drastically increase the warping effect and lower its interlayer adhesion, effectively lowering the printed parts' mechanical properties. 

ABS mechanical and thermal properties

ABS has a typical thermal resistance of around 85°C and (if printed correctly) provides strong mechanical properties. Although, with the same printing gear and setting, much more advanced materials like PolyCarbonate or Nylon can be printed, which feature drastically better mechanical properties. 

Tips and other notable benefits

Printing with ABS releases toxic and smelly ABS fumes. We don't recommend printing with ABS in a home environment. Printing with ABS filaments should be done in an air-filtered chamber or well-ventilated room. 

Browse all ABS filaments in stock in our warehouse in Senec, Slovakia. For comparison, see also ASA and PC.