ABS Filament
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is an oil-based engineering thermoplastic widely used in automotive parts, LEGO bricks, and functional enclosures. In 3D printing, it offers superior heat resistance (up to ~90°C) and impact durability compared to standard PLA.
ABS sits between PLA and engineering polymers on material cost; the bigger drivers are enclosure requirements and warping risk, which cause reprints. Failed prints are pure cost, so consistent ABS results protect margins more than cheap filament does.
Estimate it in the 3D printing cost calculator →Printing Requirements & Thermal Challenges
ABS has a high glass transition temperature and significant thermal shrinkage. To prevent severe warping and layer separation, it requires a high hotend temperature (230°C–260°C), a heated build plate (90°C–110°C), strong bed adhesion, and an enclosed print chamber.
Post-Processing & Acetone Vapor Smoothing
One unique advantage of ABS is its solubility in acetone. Exposing ABS parts to acetone vapor dissolves microscopic surface layer lines, yielding an ultra-smooth, glossy injection-molded appearance with enhanced layer bonding.
Pricing ABS Print Jobs
Due to higher enclosure electricity draw, slower cooling cycles, and a higher failure risk from warping, commercial print services typically apply a 15% to 30% material multiplier when estimating ABS jobs compared to standard PLA.
Cite This Page
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APA 7
TryAR Labs. (2026, August 25). ABS Filament. MakerWorld Estimator. https://estimator.tryar.in/glossary/absBibTeX
@misc{tryarlabs2026abs,
title = {{ABS Filament}},
author = {{TryAR Labs}},
year = {2026},
month = {aug},
url = {https://estimator.tryar.in/glossary/abs},
note = {MakerWorld Estimator}
}Calculate 3D Print Costs in Real Time
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