GV 3D Printing
Best ASA Filament For Outdoor And Industrial Use
Best ASA Filament Brands, Applications, Buying Guide And More..
Do you ever feel like you are in a rut with your 3D Printing? If so, take some time to read this blog post. It will help you find the best ASA filament for your needs and get back on track!
3D printing professionals know the importance of using high-quality materials and choosing the right filament for their heavy-duty 3D printers. With 3D printing evolving constantly ASA filament has become a popular choice of filament because it can resist extreme conditions while maintaining its integrity. While it is not necessary for everyone to use only this type, it is worth considering what makes it so great, why you might want to consider using it when possible, and What makes this material so unique? Read on to find out!
If you are in rush, check out the best ASA Filaments you should really own -:
- Overall Best ASA Filament For Outdoor Applications -: Polymaker ASA 3D Printer Filament
- Best Budget ASA Filament For Small Businesses -: OVERTURE ASA 3D Printing Filament
- Affordable Best ASA Filament For Homeowners -: eSUN eASA 3D Printer Filament
- Best ASA Filament For Color Models -: 3DX MAX ASA Filament For 3D Printing
The first thing to consider when choosing an ASA filament is what it’s going to be used for. Different filaments have different properties that allow them to work better with certain materials or machines. For instance, a PLA-compatible filament would not be ideal for use on an FDM machine because they require very hot temperatures that can cause the material to start melting or warping. The best ASA filament will depend on what type of printer and printing process it’s being used with. Read more about how ASA filament outperforms other types available!
Quick List Of Top Picks
Best ASA Filament Brands
Amazon.com 
Best 3D Printer ASA Filament
Best ASA Filaments For 3D Printers
Polymaker UV Resistant ASA 3D Printer Filament
Polymaker UV Resistant ASA 3D Printer Filament
- PolyLite ASA UV filament is a weather resistant 3D printing material. This outdoor-friendly ABS variant boasts all the same qualities of polymaker’s standard ABS, with an additional matte finish that makes final prints look very smooth and high quality.
- It can be used for outside applications such as garden tools or car accessories; it comes in black to provide more contrast on hard surface models when printed at lower layer heights than PLA could produce alone.
- With the Nozzle temperature of 250˚C, Bed temperature of 90˚C and maintaining a Speed of 50mm/s (Settings can vary depending on your printer’s specifications) makes objects look very smooth, high-quality prints with just one click!
OVERTURE Premium Anti-UV ASA 3D Printer Consumables
OVERTURE Premium Anti-UV ASA 3D Printer Consumables
- OVERTURE filament “ASA” is a kind of filament with weather resistance and UV resistance, which is more than ten times stronger than ABS
- Designed and Manufactured with Clog-Free patent to guarantee a smooth and stable printing experience.
- The spool size is large, with an inner diameter 25% larger than the industry standard; It has anti-UV properties, being able to survive in direct sunlight for up to 500 hours without decomposing.
- The CCD self-adaptive manufacturing control system guarantees 100% dimensional accuracy within +/-0.05 mm tolerance–the best 3D printer consumables you can buy on the market today!
3DX MAX ASA Filament For 3D Printing
- 3DXMax ASA is a more affordable option for those looking to color their prints.
- 3DTech states that this filament provides an inexpensive, easy way of adding your own flair or individuality into the look and feel of items you choose to print out in high-quality ABS plastic.
- With five different colors available at this price range per roll with +/-0.05mm tolerance, it’s perfect for beginners who are just getting started on printing projects themselves!
Fused Materials Black ASA 3D Printer Filament
FormFutura ApolloX ASA 1.75mm Grey 3D Printer Filament
- Fused Materials Black ASA is a high strength filament that is UV and weather resistant. This aspect means that you can print functional parts for your ultimate sculptural installation no matter if it’s indoors or outdoors without risking damage to your sculpture due to sunlight exposure!
- No need to paint with Fused Materials Black ASA because the color goes all the way through. Additionally, this material prints smoother than standard ABS filaments so you’ll be able to create complex surface texturing such as feathers in an eagle sculpture just by switching out from standard ABS on a Makerbot Replicator 2X 3D printer at home.
- Manufactured using a self-adaptive control system, this filament will maintain favorable dimensional accuracy +/-0.03mm along with consistency of 1.75 mm thus providing you with an excellent and smooth experience.
FilamentOne Premium ASA 3D Filament
- FilamentOne Pro is another great ASA brand with a low tolerance of +/- 0.02 mm, which is extremely good and makes it versatile for many applications from automotive to construction.
- It only requires an 80-90 degree Celsius bed temperature that can be easily regulated by any printer’s heating system (whereas some other popular brands like Hatchbox require 120 degrees)
- Filament One has very strong layer-to-layer adhesion so there are no issues about warping or ‘bubbling’ during the print process as long as you use their recommended printing settings (.3mm nozzle at 180% speed).
- It’s practically unheard of among common materials and means that you can print with precision! However, FilamentOne is one that falls in that genre.
Paramount 3D ASA Filament
Fused Materials Black ASA 3D Printer Filament
- Paramount filaments represent the highest quality print with tension, stability and reliability.
- Paramount ASA filament is made of 100% virgin film grade material that is vacuum sealed with desiccant to ensure a consistent printing experience every time.
- The use of ASA provides impact resistance, heat resistance, UV light resistance that you can’t find in any other carton of PLA or ABS.
eSUN 1.75mm eASA 3D Printer Filament
- eSun, a reputable filament manufacturer offers their own ASA filaments called eASA. This new and innovative product allows for customization of the print quality with more mechanical data than ever before!
- The website contains all your printing needs: detailed information on what makes this particular type of ABS different from others in terms of melt index, tensile strength, static-resistance etc.
- There are two colors available that will produce stunning results when printed at a feed rate between 20-90 mm/s (with an idling speed set to 90–150).
FormFutura ApolloX ASA 1.75mm Grey 3D Printer Filament
- FormFutura’s ApolloX ASA filament line represents a much improved version of their original. It has better thermal stability, doesn’t warp as easily, and provides an increased adhesion to the print bed for easier release.
- If you would like to do away with some or all of that initial guess work when working with FormFutura’s own brand of ABS-like material then this is definitely worth checking out!
- The spools come in 1kg sizes and are available in three different thicknesses: 0.75mm (the same size found on your standard 3D printer), 1mm thin walled tubing which allows for free flowing filaments without any distortion during printing, 2x the durability than other types currently being offered by most
All About ASA Filaments
What Is ASA Filament
ASA refers to Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate. If that sounds like a mouthful, just keep in mind that the molecular structure of ASA is very similar to ABS. ASA filament is extruded from Acrylonitrile, Styrene and Acylate resin. It’s the “Acylate” property that allows ASA to melt at a higher temperature than ABS filament. Due to this, ASA 3D printer filament is able to be extruded at a higher temperature than ABS without degrading the structural integrity of the finished object. This also means that ASA will not smell as much as ABS when it’s being printed. Unlike ABS, ASA filament is not prone to thermal expansion.
Properties Of ASA
ASA filament retains its strength characteristics better under high temperatures than ABS filament does. Below are some of the better-known properties of ASA filament:
Melting Point | 185°C to 215°C (365 to 419 F) |
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) | 85°C to 95°C (185°F to 203°F) |
Heat Deflection Temperature | 125°C to 135°C (257 to 275 F) |
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion | 0.17 x 10-5 |
Dielectric Strength | 6 kV/mm |
Heat Distortion Temperature | 125°C to 135°C (257 to 275 F) |
ASA filament is capable of a higher temperature than ABS, so it will not smell as much as ABS when it’s being printed. However, ASA filament is not immune to burning smells. ASA filaments that have been used for some time may begin to burn.
Difference Between ABS And ASA
The main difference between ASA and ABS filament is the melting temperature. As mentioned earlier, ASA melts at a higher temperature than ABS does. Another key difference between the two filaments is that ASA can be printed with an extruder in which the barrel is heated to 185°C without degrading the quality of final product.
One distinct feature of ASA filaments is their ability to be printed with no nozzle wear. ABS filaments can cause extreme nozzle wear if they are heated too much or allowed to cool on the nozzle before being used again. ASA filaments cause far less damage as a result of thermal cycling than ABS does, mainly because it stays in its plastic state up until it is set by cooling.
Applications Of ASA Filament
- ASA filament is used to make equipment, instruments and consumer electronics enclosures 3D printers can print both ASA and ABS filaments. So if you want to make a prototype of something that will be seen by the public, you should use ASA for better aesthetics.
- ASA filament is also suitable for the creation of products that need to be resistant to higher temperatures, like heat sinks and machine parts.
- ASA filament is also suitable for creating robot parts.
- We have to mention that since ASA filament is more temperature resistant than ABS, it can be used in food contact applications ( like containers, equipment and utensils).
Benefits of ASA Filament
Drawbacks Of ASA Filament
ASA Filament 3D Printer Settings
3D Printer Requirements And Settings
ASA is thermoplastic and can be printed with both ABS and PLA settings. However, ASA filament has some key differences that should be set in your 3D printer to ensure high quality prints. As with any printing material, ASA requires some additional attention when printing. To ensure high quality ASA prints, there are a few key settings you’ll need to check:
- Temperature
Because ASA filament is designed for use in the automotive industry, its recommended that you set your nozzle temperature at 205 – 220 degrees Celsius and bed temp at 55-60 degrees Celsius. This will allow for fast cooling, which helps prevent the ASA from warping.
- PLA Settings:
This will depend on your printer manufacturer, so please refer to their specific information. However, as a general rule of thumb, we recommend you set your nozzle temp at 190 degrees Celsius and bed temperature at 50 degrees Celsius. This is ideal because it allows for a quicker cooling process, which help prevents warping.
- Keep Cooling Fan on During Printing
We recommend that you leave the extruder fan on during ASA printing to assure faster cooling time, which helps prevent warping. This is an especially important step for small-scale prints (less than 10mm) where large overhangs will require more cooling time on the part.
- Use a Heated Bed in Cold Rooms
If you’re printing ASA filament and your room is below 20 degrees Celsius, we recommend that you use a heated bed with an additional layer of glass or aluminum foil to minimize warping. It’s important to maintain at least 55-60 degree temperatures on the bed.
- Stay Away from Small Overhangs
ASA filament is best printed on flat surfaces and small, overhanging details are not recommended for ASA printing. This will help prevent warping and ensure that your 3D printed part can be used as intended without having to worry about it falling off due to warping!
Tips And Tricks To 3D Printing ASA Filament
How To 3D Print ASA Filament?
Now that you’ve selected the right settings for your printer, let’s walk through how to print with ASA filament!
STEP 1: Preheat Your Printer & Prepare Your 3D Model
Preheat your 3D printer and prepare any necessary supports and rafts as instructed by the manufacturer. Make sure that you have enough material for 2-3% of the model height in supports and rafts. You can also consider adding a cooling fan to your extruder for extra support during lengthy printing jobs (for instance, overhangs that require much cooling time.)
STEP 2: Fill The Extruder With ASA Filament
Firstly, make sure you have enough filament on hand before you start the printing process. According to our ASA filament specifications, 1kg (2.2lbs.) of ASA is enough for between 15 and 30 small-scale prints. If your printer has an air-pressure system, make sure it’s turned on to extrude the ASA filament.
STEP 3: Prepare Your Model & Start Printing!
Build up ASA filament around the edges if needed and then start the printing process. To make sure your ASA 3D model sticks to the bed and prevents warping during printing, make sure you turn on your printer’s cooling fan(s). If using an air-pressure system, turn it off at this point so that the ASA filament doesn’t force itself out of the extruder! If you don’t have a reprap 3D printer, click here for our article outlining how to manually load filament into the extruder.
STEP 4: Remove Your Model From the Bed & Inspect It
Once your ASA model is done printing, wait at least 2 hours before removing it from the bed and inspecting it. We recommend doing this in a warm, low-humidity environment to reduce the chance of warping. If your 3D printed model does have any warping, it’s recommended that you rewarm it in an oven for 5 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius and allow it to cool again before trying another printing job.
STEP 5: Post Processing Your ASA Model
ASA filament can be post-processed using different techniques. You can sand it and then coat it with a special paint if you want to 3D print objects that look like metal . Or, if you use ASA filament for the purpose of impressing your friends at how cool it looks, but isn’t too concerned about how practical or functional the final object is, you can also use a special process to give it a brushed aluminum finish.
ASA Post Processing
If your design doesn’t look exactly like you wanted when it’s done printing, don’t worry! ASA filament can be post processed using different techniques that allow you to make adjustments and fix any issues with the usability and appearance of the ASA model.
STEP 1: Sanding ASA Filament
First off, it’s recommended that you sand your ASA object using a high-grit sandpaper (between 320 to 400 grit) until it meets your desired level of smoothness. Even if your final print doesn’t require much sanding, try to sand your ASA object at least a little bit to remove any sharp edges or splinters from the printing process.
STEP 2: Coating ASA Filament
You can also coat your ASA 3D printed part with a special kind of paint that gives it a brushed aluminum look. This is just like how you’d treat wood or metal to achieve this look, except that ASA filament is a lot more resistant to wear and tear than wood or metal. You can also use different kinds of stain to give your ASA model the same kind of look as well — just make sure you’re not altering the color of the object!
STEP 3: Gluing ASA Filament Together
In addition, you can also glue two or more ASA 3D printed objects together using cyanoacrylate glue or superglue. This will allow you to turn them into something that can be used for practical functions, like making the blade on a sword or creating an entire machine out of 3D printed parts!
STEP 4: Drying & Curing ASA Filament
Wait at least 12 hours before handling your ASA 3D printed model after you’re done processing it. This will allow the ASA resin to fully set and for any fumes given off by the ASA filament to die down. Once this time frame has elapsed, you’ll be able to safely handle your ASA object with bare hands without worrying about ruining it!
Trouble Shooting 3D Printer Clogging Problems With ASA Filaments
- Poor surface quality
The main reason for poor surface quality is usually printing too hot. For PLA, the recommended temperature range is 195 to 220C with the nozzle (hotend) at around 210 C. If you’re having problems getting an even layer of plastic extruded onto your print this is the first thing you should check and adjust. It might also be a sign that the nozzle has become clogged.
Too little heat will generally lead to poor adhesion of the layer and gaps between perimeters in your print. In addition, if you use too little heat, warping can occur (the plastic becomes softer as it cools down). Heat creep is a common issue that can also lead to warping.
- Blocked Nozzle / Filament jam
If the nozzle becomes blocked, the filament will not be able to push through and instead a kink or knot forms in the filament. If this happens, there is usually little chance of un-kinking the plastic so you’ll have to take the nozzle off and clean it. Some printers may have a bulb blower attached to help dislodge any kinks in the filament.
- Heat Creep
Heat creep is caused by too much heat over time, usually as a result of not allowing your printer’s hotend to fully cool down between prints. You can combat this by letting the hotend cool back to room temperature before you start a new print.
- Stringing / Oozing
If there is stringing or oozing, it could be due to too much/too little retraction. To fix this problem, adjust your retraction setting in your slicer software.
- Warping is likely caused by not using a heated bed, or not letting the bed heat up to the right temperature. Another cause can be printing too hot for your particular filament.
- Cracks can develop during printing if your layer height is too low/your print speed too high, and if you’re not using a heated bed (or the bed isn’t hot enough). As always, use common sense when adjusting settings to see what works best for you. Other causes of cracking include having a poor bed adhesion, or using glass/ceramic or other materials that expand and contract at different rates to your print platform.
- Poor layer adhesion
If you’re having trouble getting an even layer of plastic extruded onto your print, it’s likely too cold – the recommended temperature range is 195C to 220C for PLA plastic. If you’re having problems with poor layer adhesion, try raising the temperature of your hotend.
- Smell during printing
If there’s a burning smell while printing, especially at the startup of each new print (during retraction), it might be due to too much heat creep over time. This can happen if you leave your printer on overnight, for example.
If you have a very active cooling fan or printing in an enclosed space (no ventilation), this can cause condensation to form inside the hotend and nozzle where PLA plastic is extruded. Condensation eventually turns into solid water which gunks up the nozzle with ‘crud’. This is more likely to occur if you leave your printer on overnight and in an enclosed space (for example, a laptop bag).
- Difficult to remove prints
If it’s difficult to remove the print from the print bed after printing, try doing a couple of ‘touch-ups’ with some fine sandpaper or steel wool. For example, try sanding the surface again with a very fine grit of around 1200 and then wipe clean with a cloth. If necessary, you can repeat until all residue is removed.
- Difficult to remove supports / raft
If it’s difficult to remove the support or raft from your prints after printing, try doing a couple of ‘touch-ups’ with some fine sandpaper or steel wool. For example, try sanding the surface again with a very fine grit of around 1200 and then wipe clean with a cloth. If necessary, you can repeat until all residue is removed.
- Other problems
- If you’re having trouble with other print quality issues that aren’t in the above list, try lowering your print speed slightly and increasing the number of fill layers. Check to make sure there isn’t any excess support material underneath (which may need to be removed), or if you’re using a raft, too many unnecessary ‘raft lines’ – which can cause warping.
- Another option is to use different settings in your slicer program to see if this helps. For example, try reducing the layer height or print speed slightly and/or increasing the amount of fill layers / percentage infill.
- Also make sure that your printer is leveled correctly on its bed, with no tilt in any direction (X, Y or Z). In addition, make sure that your bed is the correct temperature (depending on your filament type), i.e., a glass/ceramic or other material that expands and contracts at different rates to your print platform will affect whether you’re getting stringing when you’re printing for example.
Buyer’s Guide
Things To Look For While Buying The Best ASA Filament
Before getting excited about any new technological gadgets, it’s always important to ask which features each item must have in order for you to get the best results. In this article we will discuss some of those essential qualities that could make your 3D printing wood filament journey an enjoyable one!
The first quality is simple – what type of material does the gadget use? ASA filaments are a great option if you want something sustainable and environmentally friendly, but they also come with their own challenges like melting temperature and fragility so be sure not pick just any product without reading up on its specs before purchase.
You don’t have to settle for thick paper if you’re looking for a more delicate or flexible material. As there are options in varying degrees of flexibility, it’s possible that the amount they offer is not enough and might need some extra support from another layer. For those who want thin but stiff print work, there are plenty of materials available with different levels of stiffness – so even though your project might be demanding an especially soft finish; when printing on thicker stock isn’t feasible due to what kind of detail needs to go into the design process.
This is not to say that all filament will have the same accuracy. The best option for you depends on your project and budget, but it’s worth doing some research before committing. When manufacturing projects with tiny mechanical components, anything less than 0.05mm can be really problematic because if screws or bolts don’t fit in other parts of a design they won’t work properly – so when shopping around consider how accurate your choice needs to be based on what you are designing!
The 3D printer filament you buy for your machine should be compatible with the model of device it was intended to work for. If not, there could be clogs and bubbling in the fed material that can damage or even ruin your pricey piece of equipment. You need to know what type will work best before committing yourself so avoid any chance at damaging $500 worth of technology by buying a cheaper alternative! The filament used on higher-end machines is expensive but well worth investing in if you are looking forward to keeping up with new developments as they come out without having frequent breakdowns from faulty parts getting jammed inside mechanisms which might harm delicate internal circuitry components like motors and sensors.
Prices vary based on the type and blend, but generally cheapest ASA filaments cost around $20 per kilo. More expensive types can be more than 50 times that price! Major filament brands such as Polymaker make their own high-quality material for 3D printers like Dremel or Makerbot too.
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for a filament perfect for outdoor projects or functional prototypes, ASA is the best option. It prints similarly to ABS but has some extra benefits that make it even better than what other materials can offer. Though expensive and difficult to work with, if you want quality in your printing then only choose ASAs; they combine affordability with excellence so don’t settle! There are different levels of quality between brands so be sure this one fits into your budget and requirements before making any final decisions on which brand of ASA’s will finally conquer all by being at home both outdoors as well as inside safe from those rough conditions.
