In this quick reference guide, you will learn about the ASA material for 3D printing. This guide will outline what ASA material is good for, its material properties, and some tips when printing ASA 3D parts.
ASA Overviews
ASA (Acrylic Styrene Acrylonitrile) is a thermoplastic elastomer similar to ABS plastics with an amorphous structure. It's known for superior UV resistance along with high impact & temperature resistance for outdoor, electronics, construction, and sporting industries
When comparing ASA and ABS, there are some similar challenges when printing.
Let's take a look
ABS Material Properties
- Density - 1.07g/cm3
- Coefficient of Thermal Expansion - 98µm/m-°C
- Extruder Temperature - 235 - 255°C
- Tensile Strength - 35 - 50.5 MPa
- Tensile Modulus - 1780 - 2468 MPa
- Elongation at yield - 5%
- Flexural Strength - 38.6 - 78.6 MPa
- Hardness - Shore D 110
- Price (per kg) - $38 - $40
Areas Of Strength
- High impact resistant
- UV resistant great for outdoor use
- Heated bed not required
- Anti static surface properties
- Low gloss finish
- No double bonds for improved weathering
- Greater color retention
Areas Of Weakness
- A bit expensive
- Very sensitive wrap and shrink
- Requires very high extruder temperature
- Strong odor and toxic fumes
Common Applications For ASA
- Automotive side mirror housing
- Auto radiator grills
- Sunglasses
- Sporting goods
- Electronics housing
- Signage
- Marine applications
- Exterior siding
Which 3D Printers Can Print ASA
Please make sure your 3D printer has the following capability:
- Extruder temperature - 220-250 °C
- Heated bed - 90-110 °C
- Build surface - Kapton tape, ABS/ASA Slurry, PET sheets
- Cooling fan is recommended
Top ASA Filament To Buy
Fillamentum Extrafill
- Nozzle temperature: 240-255 °C
- Bed temperature: 80-105 °C
- Dimensional accuracy: +/- 0.05 mm
- Price: ~$35 per 0.75 kg
FilamentOne Pro
- Nozzle temperature: 235-255 °C
- Bed temperature: 80-90 °C
- Dimensional accuracy: +/- 0.02 mm
- Colors: Green, sky blue, blue, black, natural, white, light grey, red, iron grey
- Price: ~$36 per kg
3DXMAX ASA
- Nozzle temperature: 235-255 °C
- Bed temperature: 90-110 °C
- Dimensional accuracy: +/- 0.05 mm
- Colors: Black, dark grey, earth, army green, natural, orange, red, blue, ultra blue, white, yellow
- Price: ~$43 per kg
Best Practices Using ASA Material In 3D Printing
Pay Attention To Warping
- Print the bottom few layers at a higher extruder temperature to help with adhesion, then decrease the temperature by 5 degrees for the next few layers
- Prevent overheating and using cooling fan
Improve Print Bed Adhesion
- Use kapton tape on top of the print bed about 0.1mm thick, and account for this by adjusting Z axis offset
- For glass bed, use PET sheets to maintain a smooth surface
Must Have Ventilation
- ASA material produce strong odor and can be harmful if inhaled in large quantities
- Avoid printing in rooms without good ventilation
- Use a separate air filtration