PolyLite™ ASA is an alternative to ABS with an improved weather resistance. Its UV resistance and excellent mechanical properties make it the perfect choice for real life applications.
Parameter
Nozzle temperature
230 – 260 (℃)
Build surface treatment
PC and Texture PEI (Glue when needed)
Build plate temperature
75 – 95 (˚C)
Cooling fan
OFF
Printing speed
50 - 200 (mm/s)
Retraction distance
1 - 3 (mm)
Retraction speed
20 - 40 (mm/s)
Closure Chamber
Needed (ambient temperature)
Recommended support material
-
Drying setting
70˚C for 7h
Print Tips
This material can print on any printer that is enclosed. We do recommend an all-metal hotend that can reach above 250˚C, but it is not required.
The hotter and slower you print, the better your layer adhesion will be.
Heat up your build plate to 90-100˚C for 10 minutes before starting your print so that the chamber has time to heat up.
If you are printing slow and hot, you will get better layer adhesion but may experience uglier overhangs. You will battle between great layer adhesion and great overhang quality.
Magigoo Original works as a great product for bed adhesion if you are having issues.
Keep your cooling fan off if you are having layer adhesion or build plate adhesion issues.
Can be smoothed or welded via acetone.
FAQ
What is the difference between ASA and ABS?
ASA is almost exactly the same as ABS with 1 major difference and 1 minor difference:
The major difference is ASA is extremely good at weather resistance. (Resistance to UV light and environmental stress cracking)
The minor difference is ASA prints with a nicer matte finish slightly hiding the layer lines.
Do you have test results for UV resistance with ASA?
Natural and accelerated aging tests are conducted to explore the correlation between color and mechanical properties of ASA materials and aging duration, assessing material weather resistance. Following a two-year natural aging examination, the ASA substrate exhibited a slight color alteration with a color change value (ΔE) below 2.5.
In the accelerated aging test, the ASA material demonstrated a ΔE value below 5 and minimal tensile strength loss, even after exposure to 8000 kj/m2 irradiation, showcasing superior performance compared to ABS.
Experimental findings substantiate that components exposed to outdoor weather elements (sunlight, rain, temperature fluctuations) maintain integrity for a minimum of two years.
Can PolyLite™ ASA be post-processed with Acetone?
Yes, PolyLite™ ASA can be smoothed with acetone.
WARNING: Acetone is a dangerous chemical, please handle it with the necessary safety precautions.
Will the spools work in an AMS?
Yes! We have redesigned the edges of our spools so all Polymaker products will now spin great in the AMS.
Is this material food safe?
Unfortunately we do not have any data whether this material is food safe. As of now, no 3D printing material on the market is FDA food safe compliant. This is because in order to be certified as food safe, the actual object needs to be certified and not the base material. The shape, bed used, environment the object was made, and much more goes into getting a food safety certificate. As of now there is no real certification that the FDA offers for 3D printing.
Do you sell refills?
We are sorry but we do not sell refills at this time
Is an Enclosure Required?
Depending on the size of the models you are trying to print, PolyLite™ ASA can required enclosed 3D printer, or even actively heated chamber.
In general a non-enclosed 3D printer with 90˚C bed temperature and 260˚C printing temperature can handle models smaller than fist size. For bigger prints you will required an enclosed 3D printer (~40-50˚C), for models bigger than ~15-20cm in any direction, it will require an actively heated chamber (~70˚C+).
Using proper bed adhesion can also help printing larger parts without deformation/warping issue.
We can recommend Magigoo or BuildTak as adhesive and bed surface options.
Does ASA printing produce VOCs?
Yes, normally the smell during ASA printing is stronger than PLA/PETG, because there is more small molecules remained in ASA from polymerization process, which could be thought as the inherent property of ASA.
As you can see in that video though - it is recommended to have proper ventilation and filtration regardless of the plastic you are printing with.
