Produce holders and housings to guard flammable materials and machinery. These ABS plastic filaments meet UL 94 V-0, so they’ll self-extinguish within 10 seconds if they catch fire and won’t cause additional fires with drips. ABS plastic absorbs impact without cracking or breaking, so it’s often used to print protective parts.

Because of their high melting point, you must use a heated surface when using these filaments with your fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer. They give off fumes during printing that require direct ventilation, such as with a fume exhauster. Parts printed from these filaments may warp when cooling.

ABS is a good material to start with when developing new parts because it's strong enough for most applications and less costly than polycarbonate ABS. It absorbs little moisture from the air and doesn’t need to be stored with desiccants. It also has a lower printing temperature than polycarbonate ABS, so you can use it with printers that work at lower temperatures.

Polycarbonate ABS filaments are about 33% stronger than ABS filaments, and they handle slightly higher temperatures.

Tensile strength is the best measure of a filament's overall strength. Similar to the stress applied on a rope during a game of tug-of-war, it's the amount of pulling force a material can handle before breaking. A higher rating means a stronger filament. A tensile strength of 5,000 psi and above is considered good; 12,000 psi and above is excellent.

Maximum exposure temperature is the point at which a printed part will begin to deform. Above this temperature, your printed parts will start to lose structural integrity.

Able to withstand drops, these tough filaments are good for creating handles, tote trays, storage cases, and enclosures that will be frequently handled near sensitive electronics. All have a compound that makes them static dissipative, so they can safely divert electrostatic charges away from electronic equipment.

Use these filaments with fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers that have a heated printer bed. More impact resistant than PLA filaments, they may warp while cooling. They also emit an unpleasant odor, so use them in an enclosed printer or remove the fumes with a fume exhauster.

ABS filaments are stronger than polycarbonate ABS, but less heat resistant.

Polycarbonate ABS filaments can withstand more impact and heat than ABS.

Use an electrical resistance tester to make sure your part meets proper resistivity levels. In general, the target surface resistivity for static-dissipative parts is 10⁷ to 10⁹ ohms. To adjust the resistivity, change the temperature of your printer's extruder. As the extruder's temperature increases, so will the printed part's resistivity.

Tensile strength is the best measure of a filament's overall strength. Similar to the stress applied on a rope during a game of tug-of-war, it's the amount of pulling force a material can handle before breaking. A higher rating means a stronger filament. A tensile strength of 5,000 psi and above is considered good; 12,000 psi and above is excellent.

Maximum exposure temperature is the point at which a printed part will begin to deform. Above this temperature, your printed parts will start to lose structural integrity.