ASA

ASA filament for makers building parts that live outdoors in the Australian sun, from car and boat fittings to garden hardware and solar mounts, in standard ASA plus carbon fibre, glass fibre, Sparkling and colour shifting Chameleon grades.

Why ASA filament is the outdoor choice

Sunlight is hard on 3D printed parts. PLA softens on a hot day, and plenty of plastics fade and turn brittle after a few seasons of UV. ASA filament is made for that exposure: it prints much like ABS, but it is formulated to keep its shape, colour and strength outdoors. It is the material we point people to for anything mounted on a car, boat, fence, shed or roof.

Our ASA range comes in five 1.75mm grades. All five share the same drying routine of 80°C for at least 5 hours and the same heat deflection temperature (HDT) of 88°C, so choosing between them comes down to stiffness, finish and colour.

Compare ASA, ASA-CF, ASA-GF, Sparkling and Chameleon

Product	Best for	Nozzle / bed	Speed
ASA	General outdoor parts, signage and enclosures, 15 colours	240-260°C / 100-120°C	40-60mm/s
ASA-CF	Stiff outdoor parts with a matte finish that hides layer lines, 4 colours	250-280°C / 100-120°C	40-60mm/s
ASA-GF	Rigid, dimensionally stable brackets and fixtures, Natural or Black	240-260°C / 100-120°C	40-250mm/s
ASA Sparkling	Weather resistant parts with a sparkle finish, 8 colours	240-260°C / 100-120°C	40-60mm/s
ASA Chameleon	Colour shifting display pieces and functional parts, 5 colours	240-260°C / 100-120°C	40-60mm/s

The recommended starting point is a 250°C nozzle and 110°C bed for ASA, ASA-GF, Sparkling and Chameleon, and a 270°C nozzle with the same bed temperature for ASA-CF. Tensile strength is listed at 42 to 45 MPa for ASA, Sparkling and Chameleon, 40.8 to 41.3 MPa for ASA-GF, and 39 to 42 MPa for ASA-CF.

The carbon fibre in ASA-CF is abrasive, so run it through a hardened steel nozzle, ideally 0.6mm. We suggest a hardened nozzle for ASA-GF as well, since glass fibre also wears brass nozzles. If you want to go further with reinforced materials, browse our carbon fibre filament and glass fibre filament ranges.

ASA in Australian conditions

Where UV resistant filament earns its keep

Cars and 4WDs: clips, trims, phone and accessory mounts. A parked car gets far hotter than the air outside, so keep parts off the dashboard where possible and test them before relying on them.
Boats and caravans: clips, cable guides and covers that sit in the sun and weather all day. Our guide to marine and boat printing covers material choice near salt water.
Garden and irrigation: hose guides, pipe brackets, plant labels and tool parts. Our ASA-GF product page shows a printed garden shovel and PVC pipe brackets.
Solar and roof hardware: cable clips, conduit brackets and sensor housings. For anything structural, design with generous margins and test first.
Work sites: customer designed parts printed in our ASA include an outdoor first aid mount and an electronics cover fitted under a rock truck.

Getting the longest life outdoors

UV resistance is only part of the picture. Add extra walls to parts that carry load, orient them so the force does not pull layers apart, and pick lighter colours for parts in full sun because they absorb less heat. ASA also has low water absorption, which helps parts that sit in rain and dew.

Enclosure and ventilation for ASA

ASA needs a warm, stable chamber. Our ASA Chameleon data describes an enclosed printer as essential to minimise warping and manage odour, and that advice holds across the whole range. Enclosed machines such as a Bambu Lab P1S or X1C suit ASA well, while open frame printers tend to warp anything larger than small parts.

ASA releases fumes and a noticeable smell while printing. Run it in a well ventilated area away from living and sleeping spaces, leave the enclosure closed until the part cools, and use a filtered enclosure or duct the exhaust outdoors for long print runs.

ASA vs ABS vs PETG for outdoor parts

Material	Sun and weather	HDT	Printing
ASA	Formulated for UV and weather resistance	88°C	Enclosure, 240-260°C nozzle
ABS	Better kept for indoor parts	85°C (ABS+) to 88°C (ABS Basic)	Enclosure, 220-240°C nozzle
PETG	Not formulated for UV like ASA	68°C (PETG+) to 74°C (PETG Basic)	Easiest, bed 50-80°C

Heat matters as much as UV here. A dark part on a parcel shelf or a metal roof gets much hotter than the day's forecast, and PETG's HDT sits 14 to 20°C below ASA's. Our article on ASA vs ABS for outdoor prints goes into more detail.

Buying ASA filament from OzFDM

We dispatch ASA from our Perth and Melbourne warehouses, and orders over $299 after discounts ship free Australia-wide, excluding PO Boxes. Mix any 1kg rolls for volume pricing: 5% off 3 or more, 10% off 6 or more, 15% off 12 or more, or 20% off a full carton of 12 in one colour and material. Every ASA product page has a downloadable technical data sheet.

ASA filament FAQs

Will ASA hold up in the Australian sun?

ASA is formulated for UV, heat and weather resistance, so it is better suited to long term outdoor use than PLA or ABS. Its HDT is 88°C across our range. The biggest risks outdoors are usually heat build-up and thin walls, not UV, so use lighter colours in full sun, add walls to load bearing parts and keep parts off car dashboards where possible.

Can I print ASA without an enclosure?

Small parts sometimes work on an open printer in a warm room with no draughts, but results are unreliable. ASA shrinks as it cools, so corners lift and layers can split. An enclosure keeps the chamber warm, which is why our product data treats it as essential. It also contains the fumes so you can filter them or vent them outside.

What is the difference between ASA-CF and ASA-GF?

Both add stiffness and reduce warping compared with standard ASA. ASA-CF uses carbon fibre for a matte finish that hides layer lines, comes in four colours and runs hotter at 250-280°C. ASA-GF uses glass fibre, comes in Natural or Black, prints at 240-260°C and is rated up to 250mm/s. Both suit brackets, automotive parts and outdoor fixtures.

Can I use ASA in a Bambu Lab AMS?

Our ASA Chameleon data says it works with Bambu Lab AMS units on enclosed printers such as the X1C and P1S, but ASA is not recommended for AMS Lite. ASA-CF needs the standard AMS, not AMS Lite, plus a hardened steel nozzle. ASA-GF can be used if the spool fits, although manual loading gives more consistent feeding. Always keep the filament dry.

Can ASA prints be sanded and painted?

Yes. Standard ASA has a naturally smooth finish that our product data describes as easy to post process and paint. Sand through progressively finer grits, clean off the dust and use a primer before paint for the best bond. ASA-CF and ASA-GF have a matte, textured finish that already hides layer lines, so many makers leave those parts as printed.

How should I dry and store ASA filament?

Dry every ASA grade at 80°C for at least 5 hours in a filament dryer before printing if the spool has been left open. Between prints, keep rolls in an airtight bag or container with desiccant in a cool, dark and dry place. For long term storage, dry the filament first and then seal it in a vacuum bag with fresh desiccant.