ABS was the first engineering filament in common use and it remains useful for parts that must survive heat, be machined afterwards or be solvent smoothed to a glossy finish. It is also the filament that most often fails to print, because it contracts substantially as it cools and pulls itself off the bed and apart at the corners.
Why it warps
ABS shrinks appreciably as it cools from print temperature, and that contraction acts along the length of the part. Each new layer cools and pulls on the layers beneath, so tall or long parts lift at the corners and can split between layers partway up. The larger the footprint, the worse it is, which is the opposite of what people expect.
Printing it successfully
A heated enclosure is the single most effective measure, because it keeps the whole part near its softening point and removes the temperature gradient that causes the pull. A heated bed with good adhesion, no part cooling fan, generous fillets at the corners and a brim all help. None of them substitute for the enclosure on a large part.
What it is good at
Heat resistance well above PLA and PETG, so parts survive a warm car or a machine enclosure. Machinability, because it drills and taps cleanly. Solvent smoothing with acetone vapour, which gives a genuinely glossy sealed surface no other common filament matches. And it glues well with solvent cement, so split parts bond invisibly.
When to choose something else
ASA where the part lives outdoors, since it has the same processing behaviour with far better ultraviolet stability. PETG where you want most of the toughness with none of the warping. Sintered nylon where the part has to perform mechanically. And injection moulded ABS as soon as the quantity justifies a tool, because moulded ABS is a completely different proposition.
Questions people ask about abs 3d printing service
Why does ABS warp when printing?
Because it contracts substantially as it cools, so each new layer pulls on the ones beneath and lifts the corners. Larger footprints warp worse.
Do I need an enclosure to print ABS?
For anything beyond small parts, effectively yes. Keeping the whole part near its softening temperature is what removes the gradient that causes warping.
What is acetone smoothing?
Exposing a printed ABS part to acetone vapour so the surface softens and flows, producing a glossy sealed finish. It is unique to ABS among common filaments.
ABS or ASA?
ASA for anything outdoors, since it prints similarly and resists ultraviolet light far better. ABS where cost matters and the part stays indoors.