What’s the purpose of 3D printing in ABS vs other more modern filaments?

9 comments

ABS is one of the most heat resistant plastics you can use in a hobby grade printer. A lot of the people I know who use it do so for automotive stuff. Though I see them going more and more with PC these days.

Another benefit to ABS is acetone smoothing. It produces a smooth shiny surface on the print but chemically melting it just a little. It's all on the toxic side of hobby endeavors. Neither ABS or Acetone produce health friendly fumes. You can also do a similar smoothing affect with PVB filament and IPA.
- Do you just wipe it down when it's done printing, or is that part of the printing process in a higher end printer?
  
  If you're asking about smoothing you need to build a fume chamber. You want the print bathed in a low steady steam bath of acetone (for ABS) or IPA (for PVB). A sufficient fume chamber isn't difficult to build, you can find instruction all over. But, again, vaporized acetone is hazardous.
- I would suggest you can get all the same benefits as abs out of ASA with the advantage it has less shrinkage and warping
Permanently Deleted
- Also abs gives off poisonous styrine vapours you must vent the fumes outside.
  
  Permanently Deleted
- PLA is biodegradable over several hundred years. The main reason to avoid using it outside is because bright sunlight makes it brittle. That will happen in just a few.
Different materials have different properties and printability.

https://help.prusa3d.com/category/material-guide_220
- Thanks cowboy

You've viewed 9 comments.