— FDM · MATERIAL
ABS
The classic engineering plastic. Demands an enclosure.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Same plastic LEGO bricks are made from. High impact strength, machinable, paintable — but warps without a heated enclosure.
— Specs
The numbers your slicer cares about.
Density
1.04 g/cm³
Nozzle temp
230–260°C
Bed temp
95–110°C
Price
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— Use cases
When ABS is the right call.
Best for
- Mechanical parts: gears, brackets, enclosures
- Parts that need post-processing: sand, drill, paint, acetone-smooth
- Automotive and electrical housings (heat tolerance ~95°C)
- Lego-style snap-fit assemblies
Avoid for
- First-time printing (warps, smells, needs enclosure)
- Open-room printing — ABS fumes are mildly toxic; ventilate
- Decorative pieces (PLA prints sharper detail)
- Food-contact items
— Honest assessment
Pros & cons, no marketing.
Pros
- High impact strength — won't shatter like PLA
- Solvent-weldable with acetone — invisible joints + glossy smoothing
- Holds dimensional accuracy at higher temps than PLA/PETG
- Excellent for sanding, drilling, tapping threads
Cons
- Warping without an enclosure — large flat parts lift off the bed
- Releases VOCs while printing (styrene); ventilate the room
- Higher print + bed temps require a printer rated for ABS
- Layer adhesion is poor in cool ambient conditions
— Works with
Printers calibrated for ABS.
These printers ship a tuned profile for this filament — pick one in the calculator for an exact quote.
— Print tips
What we'd tell a friend printing this.
- 1Enclosure mandatory for parts > 100mm — keeps ambient ≥35°C
- 2Bed temp 100–110°C with brim or raft for 200mm+ parts
- 3Acetone vapour smoothing: glossy bench-grade finish in 10 minutes
- 4Print slowly — 40–60mm/s reduces interlayer cracking
— Compare
Also worth considering.
— Try this material