Material · Engineering Plastics
ABS
The prototype plastic: tough, light, cheap — and it glues and paints like nothing else.
Price index: $
Instant quote onlineMaterial properties
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 40 MPa |
| Yield strength | ~40 MPa |
| Hardness | R105 (Rockwell) |
| Density | 1.05 g/cm³ |
Choose it when
You need an economical, impact-tolerant prototype or enclosure that will be painted, silk-screened or solvent-bonded — ABS accepts all three better than POM or HDPE.
Look elsewhere when
The part sees sunlight, solvents or service above ~80 °C, or needs precision running fits — step to polycarbonate for toughness outdoors (painted) or POM for precision.
Compatible finishes
As-Machined
The baseline finish: straight off the machine, fastest and cheapest.
Bead Blasting
The uniform matte look: erases tool marks, hides fingerprints, preps perfect anodizing.
Wet Painting
Any color, any gloss, any substrate: the flexible coat for plastics and appearance prototypes.
Silk Screening
The multi-color marking: inked legends and logos where laser’s single tone is not enough.
Laser Marking
Permanent identification with zero dimensional change: serials, logos and codes burned in, not stuck on.
Typical applications
- Enclosure prototypes before injection molding
- Painted appearance models and housings
- Interior covers and brackets for equipment
- Bonded multi-part assemblies
Compared with similar grades
| Property | ABS | Polycarbonate (PC) | Nylon PA6 | Nylon PA66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 40 MPa | 66 MPa | 79 MPa (dry) | 83 MPa (dry) |
| Yield strength | ~40 MPa | ~62 MPa | ~79 MPa (dry) | ~83 MPa (dry) |
| Hardness | R105 (Rockwell) | R118 (Rockwell) | R119 (Rockwell, dry) | R120 (Rockwell, dry) |
| Density | 1.05 g/cm³ | 1.20 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ | 1.14 g/cm³ |
| Price index | $ | $ | $ | $ |
| Machinability | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
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