CNC Machined ABS

Tough & strong, makes a great combination of visual or functional prototypes

Snapshot of ABS Plastic

ABS plastic Description
ABS (Acrylonitrite Butadine Styrene) is a general purpose rigid thermoplastic with a combination of properties that make it ideal for the wide range of rapid prototyping applications. ABS has an excellent dimensional stability makes it well suited for structural applications where strength, impact resistance and stiffness are important.
Advantages of ABS parts
Easy machining, Smooth finish, High impact strength, Tough and strong, High Stiffness, Good Dimensional Stability
ABS plastic Uses
General Household items, Toys, Automotive Parts, kitchen Appliances, Computer Parts, Laboratory Equipment, Phone/Fax machine parts, Electrical/Electronic enclosures, Aircraft and automotive interior trims
Finishing examples of ABS prototypes
Available Finishes
  • Machine Finish
  • Polished Finish
  • Painted or Grey primered
  • Electroplating / Metallising
ABS material Spec
Property Data
Density 1.04 g/cm3
Water Absorption-24 Hours (%) 0.30 %
Tensile Strength (Mpa) 38 Mpa
Tensile Modulus (GPa) 2.10 GPa
Flexural Strength (MPa) 65 Mpa
Vicat Softening Temp (℃) 100℃
Heat Deflection Temp - 1.8MPa (℃) 93℃
Coefficient of Friction 0.40
Note: This Data is indicative only
Further considerations
Natural raw material is available in off-White and charcoal-Black colours, however can be painted in any colour. Large and complex parts with undercuts can be easily made in sections and glued. Economical option for prototypes.
Limitations
Not suitable for Petroleum-based oils, paints and solvents. Moderate heat, moisture and chemical, weathering resistance. Can easily scratch. Flammable with high smoke generation.
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Plastic properties comparison

Check out how ABS properties compared to other plastics

Density (g/cm³)

For a homogeneous object, Density = Mass Divided By Volume. The higher the density, the tighter the particles are packed inside the substance. The Specific Gravity is the ratio of Density of the material to the Density of water at a specified temperature. It is common to use the density of water at 4°C as reference - at this point the density of water is at the highest i.e. 1 g/cm3. So Specific Gravity of less than “1” means that the material will float in water.

  • ABS
    g/cm³
  • PC
    g/cm³
  • PP
    g/cm³
  • ACETAL(POM)
    g/cm³
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    g/cm³
  • NYLON
    g/cm³
  • HDPE
    g/cm³

Water Absorption-24 Hours (%)

Water absorption is used to determine the amount of water absorbed under specified conditions. Water absorption is expressed as increase in weight percent. Percent Water Absorption = [(Wet weight - Dry weight)/ Dry weight] x 100

  • ABS
    %
  • PC
    %
  • PP
    %
  • ACETAL(POM)
    %
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    %
  • NYLON
    %
  • HDPE
    %

Tensile Strength (Mpa)

Tensile strength is a property of a material that measures the force required to pull something to the point where it breaks. Tensile strength is important for a material that is going to be stretched or under tension. In many brittle materials such as rock, concrete, cast iron, tensile strength is almost negligible.

  • ABS
    Mpa
  • PC
    Mpa
  • PP
    Mpa
  • ACETAL(POM)
    Mpa
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    Mpa
  • NYLON
    Mpa
  • HDPE
    Mpa

Tensile Modulus (GPa)

Tensile Modulus, also known as Young's modulus, is defined as the ratio of stress to strain. Rigid materials, such as metals, have a high Young's modulus. In general, fibers have high Young's modulus values, elastomers have low values, and plastics lie somewhere in-between.

  • ABS
    GPa
  • PC
    GPa
  • PP
    GPa
  • ACETAL(POM)
    GPa
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    GPa
  • NYLON
    GPa
  • HDPE
    GPa

Elongation at break (%)

The elongation at break is the strain on a sample when it breaks. This is usually expressed as a percent. The elongation at break is sometimes called the ultimate elongation. Fibers have a low elongation-to-break and elastomers have a high elongation-to-break

  • ABS
    %
  • PC
    %
  • PP
    %
  • ACETAL(POM)
    %
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    %
  • NYLON
    %
  • HDPE
    %

Izod impact Strength Notched (J/m)

Notched Izod Impact is a test of how impact resistant a polymer will be. This is useful information when the application is for high impact performance. The Izod Impact test is a measurement from energy used to break a notch in the specimens.

  • ABS
    J/m
  • PC
    J/m
  • PP
    J/m
  • ACETAL(POM)
    J/m
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    J/m
  • NYLON
    J/m
  • HDPE
    J/m

Flexural Strength (MPa)

The flexural strength of a material is its ability to resist deformation under load, or how much you can bend the material before it starts to break. Skis, fishing rods, pole vault poles and diving boards are examples of parts needing high flexural strength.

  • ABS
    Mpa
  • PC
    Mpa
  • PP
    Mpa
  • ACETAL(POM)
    Mpa
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
    Mpa
  • NYLON
    Mpa
  • HDPE
    Mpa

Vicat Softening Temp (℃)

The temperature at which a thermoplastic material reaches a specific level of softness. It is taken as the temperature at which the specimen is penetrated to a depth of 1 mm by a flat-ended needle with a 1 square mm circular or square cross-section.

  • ABS
  • PC
  • PP
  • ACETAL(POM)
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
  • NYLON
  • HDPE

Coefficient of Friction

The coefficient of friction, or COF, is described as the ratio of the force of friction between two bodies and the force pressing them together. A lower friction coefficient indicates that the surfaces are slicker - there is less resistance to the sliding motion.

  • ABS
  • PC
  • PP
  • ACETAL(POM)
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
  • NYLON
  • HDPE

Heat Deflection Temp - 1.8MPa (℃)

The Heat deflection temperature (HDT) is the temperature at which a polymer or plastic sample deforms under a specified load. A constant load is applied in the center of the specimen and the bath temperature is raised at a constant rate. The temperature of the bath at which the flexural deflection of the loading point has reached a predefined level is the heat deflection temperature of the material.

  • ABS
  • PC
  • PP
  • ACETAL(POM)
  • ACRYLIC(PMMA)
  • NYLON
  • HDPE