ABS Filament

1. Material Properties

Strength & Durability: ABS is strong, moderately flexible, and impact-resistant, making it suitable for functional and mechanical parts like enclosures, brackets, and automotive components.

Heat Resistance: Can withstand temperatures up to ~100°C before softening, higher than PLA but lower than Nylon or Polycarbonate.

Surface Finish & Post-Processing: Smooth matte finish; easily sanded, machined, or chemically smoothed with acetone vapor.

Chemical Resistance: Resistant to many chemicals but can degrade with prolonged exposure to strong acids or bases.

2. Printing Temperature

Nozzle Temperature: 240–260°C (depends on brand and diameter)

Bed Temperature: 90–110°C to reduce warping and promote adhesion

Enclosure Recommended: Yes — prevents warping, layer splitting, and cracking by maintaining consistent ambient temperature

3. Print Considerations

Cooling: Minimal or no cooling to prevent layer adhesion issues

Warping & Shrinkage: ABS tends to warp; using rafts, brims, or enclosures helps mitigate this

Print Speed: Moderate speed 30–50 mm/s for better layer adhesion and dimensional accuracy

Layer Adhesion: Strong when printed properly, but Z-axis strength can still be lower than X/Y axes due to layer bonding

Supports: Easy to remove; sometimes sticky if printed too hot

4. Applications

Functional prototypes and mechanical parts

Automotive components

Tooling and fixtures

Electronic enclosures

5. Practical Tips

Keep filament dry, as ABS absorbs moisture which can cause bubbling and poor layer adhesion

Avoid drafts and sudden temperature changes during printing

Post-processing with acetone vapor can improve strength and surface finish