Engineering

ASA: full cost overview

ASA is ABS reformulated for outdoor use — vastly better UV resistance, holds color under direct sun without yellowing. Otherwise prints like ABS: enclosed chamber, heated bed, ventilation. Specifically for parts that live in the garden, balcony or building façade.

Specs

Typical price: ~$30.00/kg
Print temperature: 240–260 °C
Bed temperature: 100–110 °C
Enclosed chamber: Recommended
Food-safe: No
Difficulty: ★★★★☆

When to use

• Outdoor garden parts and brackets
• Façade signage exposed to sun
• Balcony planters and accessories
• Anywhere ABS would yellow

When NOT to use

• Printers without an enclosure
• Indoor decorative use (PLA is cheaper)
• Food applications
• Small detailed prints (warping risk)

How to print well in ASA

ASA prints similarly to ABS but with the bonus of UV resistance — parts in ASA survive years of direct sun without yellowing or fading. Nozzle 240-260 °C, bed 100-110 °C, enclosed chamber mandatory (passive P1S/X1C works, active H2D works better). Zero or minimal cooling (0-20%) — aggressive fans cause delamination in ASA. Bed adhesion: PVA glue or Magigoo PA works; PEI sheets hold well on a hot bed. ASA releases VOCs like ABS — don't run it in an unventilated room. For smoothing, acetone vapor works less effectively than on ABS — gives a glossier but less smooth finish. Brands: Polymaker PolyLite ASA, eSun ASA, Prusament ASA.

Typical cost in practice

ASA in the US runs $26-34/kg (Hatchbox, eSun, Polymaker) and $40-52/kg in premium (Prusament, Polymaker premium lines). More expensive than ABS but justifiable for parts exposed to sun — outdoor signage, balcony brackets, garden fixtures, exterior automotive parts. For a 100 g functional part, filament cost is $2.60-3.40 — a 4× markup yields $12-16 final, competitive against ABS-printed alternatives that would yellow within a year. Doesn't make sense for indoor parts where ABS solves the problem cheaper. The hidden cost is the same as ABS: needs an enclosed chamber, so only makes sense on P1S/X1C/H2D/H2C.

Sample calculation

For a 50 g part on a Bambu Lab A1, 6 h print time and 8% failure rate. Currency follows your selection at the top.

Filament$1.50
Energy$0.14
Amortization$0.15
Failures (8%)$0.14
Unit Cost$1.93
Final Consumer Price (3× / 6% / 2%)$8.41

Best printers for ASA

These models in our catalog handle ASA reliably out of the box — picked by enclosure, hotend temperature and drive system, not marketing.

ASA head-to-heads

ABS

~$22.00/kg · 230–260 °C

Nylon

~$45.00/kg · 240–270 °C

~$45.00/kg · 260–300 °C