Written by Jackson B.
Quick answer: ASA-CF is ASA filled with chopped carbon fibre. Per our data sheets it prints at 250–280°C on a 100–120°C bed and has the same 88°C heat deflection temperature as plain ASA. You need an enclosed printer, a hardened steel nozzle (0.6 mm preferred) and dry filament. Buy it for the matte finish and lower warping, not extra heat resistance.
ASA is the usual choice for printed parts that have to live outdoors. Adding carbon fibre changes how it prints, how it looks and what hardware it needs, and it adds about $9 to the price of a roll. This guide gives starting settings taken from our ASA-CF data sheet, a hardware checklist, a side-by-side look at the numbers for ASA, ASA-CF and ASA-GF, and an honest view on when plain ASA is the better buy.
What ASA-CF actually is
ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) is a close cousin of ABS that is widely used for parts that live outdoors, including exterior parts of vehicles and outdoor furniture. The Wikipedia entry on ASA is a good plain-English summary of the base polymer.
OzFDM ASA-CF blends that ASA base with short carbon fibres. Our product page describes three practical effects: a matte surface that hides layer lines, reduced warping and shrinkage, and a material that is more brittle than standard ASA, so spools and finished parts need a bit more care. It comes on a 1 kg, 1.75 mm spool (±0.05 mm tolerance) in Carbon Fibre Black, Midnight Blue, Carbon Fibre Red and Iris Purple, and sells for $38.95 a roll at the time of writing. You can compare it with every ASA line in the ASA collection.
ASA vs ASA-CF vs ASA-GF: what our data sheets say
Before paying extra for fibre, it helps to see the figures side by side. All values below are per our data sheets, which you can download from each product page (here is the ASA-CF data sheet PDF).
| Property | ASA | ASA-CF | ASA-GF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature | 240–260°C (250°C recommended) | 250–280°C (270°C recommended) | 240–260°C (250°C recommended) |
| Bed temperature | 100–120°C (110°C recommended) | 100–120°C (110°C recommended) | 100–120°C (110°C recommended) |
| Listed print speed | 40–60 mm/s | 40–60 mm/s (50 mm/s recommended) | 40–250 mm/s |
| Tensile strength (ISO 527) | 42–45 MPa | 39–42 MPa | 40.8–41.3 MPa (X-Y) |
| Flexural strength (ISO 178) | 75–79 MPa | 80–82.5 MPa | 72.5–74.1 MPa (X-Y) |
| Impact strength (ISO 180) | 19–20 kJ/m² | 10.5–12 kJ/m² | 6.3–6.9 kJ/m² (X-Y) |
| HDT at 0.455 MPa (ISO 75) | 88°C | 88°C | 88°C |
| Moisture absorption (23°C, 24 h) | 1% | Under 0.5% | Under 0.5% |
| Drying | 80°C, at least 5 h | 80°C, at least 5 h | 80°C, at least 5 h |
| Price per 1 kg roll | $29.95 | $38.95 | $39.95 |
The ASA-GF sheet quotes figures for specimens printed flat (X-Y). The ASA and ASA-CF sheets do not state an orientation, so treat comparisons across the three as a guide rather than a lab-grade match.
What the numbers tell you
- Heat: all three list an 88°C HDT, and ASA-CF and ASA-GF both list an 85°C continuous use temperature. Carbon fibre does not buy you extra heat resistance on paper.
- Bending strength: ASA-CF has the highest flexural strength of the three, a little above plain ASA.
- Knocks and drops: plain ASA's impact strength is about 1.7 to 1.9 times ASA-CF's. If a part will be kicked, dropped or clamped hard, standard ASA is the safer choice.
- Stiffness: the product page describes ASA-CF as stiffer, but the tensile modulus on its data sheet (850–900 MPa) is lower than plain ASA's (1,200–1,400 MPa). If rigidity is the reason you are buying, check the figures against your load case rather than relying on the "carbon fibre" label.
- Moisture: ASA-CF absorbs less than half as much moisture as plain ASA in the 24-hour test, which helps in humid parts of the country.
Hardware you need before you open the bag
A hardened nozzle, ideally 0.6 mm
Carbon fibre is abrasive. Our product page warns that ASA-CF can wear down brass nozzles and, over time, even the AMS funnel. Bambu Lab's filament guide gives the same advice for carbon and glass fibre filaments: avoid brass and stainless steel nozzles, choose 0.6 mm first and 0.4 mm second, and do not use a 0.2 mm nozzle because the chance of clogging is very high. Our guide to hardened nozzles covers the options.
An enclosed printer
Our product page lists an enclosed printer as essential for ASA-CF, and Bambu Lab's filament guide does not recommend open-frame printers for ASA or ABS. A closed chamber keeps drafts off the part and reduces the risk of warping and layer splits on larger prints.
Ventilation or filtration
ASA-CF releases fumes while printing, and our product page strongly recommends air filtration. Print in a ventilated room, keep the printer out of living and sleeping areas, and read our 3D printing safety precautions.
AMS: external spool recommended
Bambu Lab advises against feeding third-party carbon fibre filament through the AMS because the abrasive fibre wears the feed path, so load ASA-CF from the external spool holder. If you only print the odd ASA-CF job, feeding from an external spool holder saves wear on the AMS.
Starting settings for ASA-CF
These starting values come straight from the ranges on our ASA-CF data sheet, with notes for enclosed Bambu Lab printers. Change one setting at a time and print a small test part before committing to a long job.
| Setting | Starting value | Data sheet range and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 0.6 mm hardened steel | 0.4 mm hardened is the second choice; never 0.2 mm |
| Nozzle temperature | 270°C | 250–280°C (270°C recommended) |
| Bed temperature | 110°C | 100–120°C (110°C recommended) |
| Print speed | 50 mm/s | 40–60 mm/s (50 mm/s recommended) |
| Layer height | 0.2–0.3 mm | With a 0.6 mm nozzle; use 0.2 mm or less with a 0.4 mm nozzle |
| Chamber | Door and lid closed | Let the bed heat with the printer closed for a few minutes before starting |
| Supports | HIPS or ASA-CF | Data sheet lists HIPS, or ASA-CF as its own support interface |
| Drying | 80°C for 5 h or more | Filament dryer or food dehydrator |
If your slicer limits speed by flow rather than by mm/s, 60 mm/s works out to roughly 5 mm³/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layers, or about 11 mm³/s with a 0.6 mm nozzle at 0.3 mm layers. Setting the filament's maximum volumetric speed near those figures keeps the slicer inside the data sheet speed range.
Tested on our Bambu Lab H2D and Bambu Lab X1 Carbon with 0.6 mm hardened steel nozzles, September 2026.
When ASA-CF is worth it
- Visible outdoor and automotive parts. Housings, brackets, covers and trim where the matte, layer-hiding finish matters. Our product page lists automotive panels, outdoor housings, functional prototypes, industrial tools and sporting gear as typical uses.
- Large flat parts that like to lift. The reduced warping and shrinkage described on the product page helps on long, flat prints.
- Humid storage conditions. Lower moisture absorption per our data sheets gives you a little more margin between drying sessions.
- You already have the hardware. If your printer is enclosed and already runs a hardened nozzle, the extra cost is just the filament.
When plain ASA is the better buy
- Parts that take impacts. Standard ASA's impact strength is 19–20 kJ/m² against 10.5–12 kJ/m² for ASA-CF, per our data sheets.
- Heat is the only reason. Both list an 88°C HDT. See our heat deflection temperature chart if you need something that handles more heat.
- Colour choice matters. Plain ASA comes in 15 colours; ASA-CF comes in four.
- Your printer has a brass nozzle, an AMS lite or no enclosure. Plain ASA still needs an enclosure, but it does not need a hardened nozzle.
Drying and storage
Each roll arrives vacuum-sealed with desiccant, but our product page still recommends drying ASA-CF thoroughly before use: 80°C for at least five hours in a filament dryer or food dehydrator. Between jobs, keep the spool in an airtight bag or container with desiccant in a cool, dark, dry place, and for long-term storage dry it first and vacuum-seal it. Our guide to storing filament in Australia's humidity has practical storage options.
Buying more than one roll
Filament volume pricing applies automatically at checkout: any mix of 3 or more rolls gets 5% off, 6 or more gets 10% off and 12 or more gets 15% off. A full carton of 12 rolls of the same ASA-CF colour gets 20% off, which brings a $38.95 roll down to about $31.16. Businesses printing ASA-CF in volume can apply for a trade account for invoice terms and single-SKU pricing (trade pricing is not combined with volume discounts).
Shop the materials in this guide
- 1.75 mm ASA-CF Filament - 1 KG: matte carbon fibre ASA for visible outdoor parts (needs a hardened nozzle and an enclosure).
- 1.75 mm ASA Filament - 1 KG: higher impact strength per our data sheets, 15 colours and no hardened nozzle needed.
- 1.75 mm ASA-GF Filament - 1 KG: the glass fibre option, with a listed print speed range up to 250 mm/s.
- 1.75 mm HIPS Support Filament - 1 KG: listed as a support material on the ASA-CF data sheet and dissolves in d-limonene.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print ASA-CF with a brass nozzle?
No. Carbon fibre wears brass quickly. Use a hardened steel nozzle, ideally 0.6 mm, and avoid 0.2 mm nozzles, which clog easily with fibre-filled filament.
Is ASA-CF more heat resistant than ASA?
Not on paper. Per our data sheets both have an 88°C heat deflection temperature at 0.455 MPa, and ASA-CF lists an 85°C continuous use temperature.
Can ASA-CF go in the Bambu Lab AMS?
Bambu Lab advises against it for third-party carbon fibre filament, so load ASA-CF from the external spool holder to protect the AMS feed path. Dry the filament first and expect some wear on the feed path over time. An external spool holder avoids that wear.
Do I need an enclosure for ASA-CF?
Yes. Our product page lists an enclosed printer as essential, and the enclosure also helps you manage fumes with filtration or ventilation.
Do I need to dry a new roll of ASA-CF?
We recommend it. Rolls ship vacuum-sealed with desiccant, but drying at 80°C for at least five hours before use gives the most reliable results.
