Material · FDM Filament
ABS: for parts with a hard job description
ABS is the plastic of LEGO bricks, power-tool bodies and car interiors — an engineering thermoplastic that shrugs off knocks and keeps its shape near heat that would slump lesser filaments. When a printed part has to work like an injection-molded one, ABS is on the shortlist.
Built for function, finished for looks
ABS machines, sands, drills and glues better than most filaments, and it's one of the few that can be vapor-smoothed to a glossy, near-molded surface — useful when an engineering prototype must also survive a client meeting.
Where we spec it: electronics enclosures that run warm, under-hood-adjacent and vehicle interior parts, tool handles and shop hardware, and short production runs standing in for molded ABS components.
Honest fine print
ABS wants a controlled, heated environment to print without warping — which is exactly what it gets here, and why home-printer horror stories don't apply. UV exposure dulls it over years outdoors; for weather-first parts, PETG usually wins, and for molded-grade complexity, look at SLS nylon.
| ABS properties | |
|---|---|
| Process | FDM |
| Tensile strength | ~40 MPa, high impact |
| Heat resistance | ~95–100°C |
| Post-processing | Sands, glues, vapor-smooths |
| Outdoor use | Limited — UV dulls over time |
| Cost | $$ — engineering tier |
Put ABS on the job
Tell us the temperature and abuse the part will see; we'll confirm ABS suits it and quote accordingly.