Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) Filament

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament is a type of filament used in 3D printing. As the name implies, ABS is made of three different types of plastics: acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. ABS can be difficult to print with because different manufacturers mix these three plastics in different proportions, causing prints to be inconsistent between each brand.

Another challenge of printing with ABS is that it tends to shrink more than other filaments as it cools; from 0.5% to 0.8% in most cases. This shrinkage can cause the bottom outer edges to pull up and raise the sides. Aside from a warped print, the raised edges can cause the printer nozzle to collide with the print and misplace filament as it is extruded or even detach the print from the base plate. To combat this, it helps to apply an adhesive such as disappearing purple glue or hairspray to the base plate.

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