3D printers for printing with ABS plastic

ABS plastic

— one of the most common types of thermoplastic nowadays, along with PLA. It is also popular in 3D printing, widely used in FDM / FFF printers (see “Printing Technology”), as well as many other types of similar units.

At a low cost, ABS is very practical: finished products are durable, quite resistant to deformation and shock, insensitive to moisture and many aggressive liquids (alkalis, oils, a large amount of detergents); they also have a good temperature range of operation (on average from -40 to 90 °C). And for melting such plastic, relatively low temperatures are required. There are three main disadvantages of ABS. Firstly, it is sensitivity to direct sunlight, rapid wear in such conditions (although it all depends on the particular variety). Secondly, this material emits harmful fumes when heated — so it is advisable to use protective equipment during operation, or at least provide effective ventilation of the room. Thirdly, ABS tends to stick strongly to the printing table, which requires the use of various additional tricks — heating the table, using special thermal tape, etc.

Also note that finished products from this material have a rough surface, but this can be an advantage — depending on the situation.