Filament
ASA
The outdoor material: the same mechanical virtues as ABS but with real UV resistance, which matters a lot on the Mexican plateau and in the north. Prusa publishes 260 ± 10 °C nozzle, 110 ± 5 °C bed and 1.07 g/cm³ density to ISO 1183, with 93 °C heat deflection at 0.45 MPa. It also emits styrene.
Safety and handling
Prusa says it plainly: ventilation is essential because ASA releases potentially dangerous fumes, styrene among them. As with ABS, the answer is not choosing between enclosure and ventilation but combining both: an enclosure so the part does not lift, and extraction or activated-carbon filtering so the fumes do not stay in the room. Do not print it in a bedroom or anywhere people spend many hours. Bed at 110 °C and nozzle at 260 °C: both burn. If you smooth with acetone, do it outside, with nitrile gloves and no ignition sources nearby.
Technical profile
- Nozzle temperature
- 250–270 °C
- Bed temperature
- 100–115 °C
- Heated bed
- Yes
- Enclosure
- Recommended
- Density
- 1.07 g/cm³
- Absorbs moisture
- Yes
- Drying
- 80 °C · 4 h
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Typical price per kilo in Mexico
Price not verified
Strengths
- High UV resistance: the common filament for parts left outdoors
- Better heat resistance than ABS (93 °C deflection at 0.45 MPa)
- Acetone-soluble for chemical smoothing and bonding
- Less stringing than ABS on detailed parts
- Good impact and wear resistance
Weaknesses
- Significant warping from the temperature difference between part and air
- Potentially dangerous styrene fumes: it demands careful ventilation
- High printing temperatures, beyond some entry-level machines
- Large parts need an enclosure, no exceptions
- Partially hygroscopic: it absorbs moisture and needs drying
Common uses
- Outdoor parts: antenna mounts, garden boxes, rooftop fittings
- Automotive components exposed to the sun
- Technical housings that will also be painted
- A replacement for ABS whenever the part will live outdoors
Related problems
Documented printing defects that show up with this material.
Work out your cost
How much material a part uses and what it costs to print, with the formula in plain sight.
- Quiz: which 3D printer suits me?
- Filament calculator: grams, metres and pesos
- Resin calculator: millilitres, grams and cost
- 3D print cost calculator in Mexican pesos
- 3D printer power consumption calculator
- 3D printing material comparator
- Nozzle and layer height reference
- Diagnostic tree: find your failure by symptom
- STL vs 3MF: which to use and how to convert
- 3D printer comparator
- 3D printing glossary search
Sources
- [1]ASA | Prusa Knowledge BasePrusa Research · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026
- [2]Technical datasheet — Prusament ASA by Prusa Polymers (v1.1, 16-02-2022)Prusa Polymers · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026
- [3]Drying filament | Prusa Knowledge Base (ASA: 80 °C, 4 h)Prusa Research · Manufacturer · accessed July 27, 2026