ABS Prototype: Materials, Processes, Advantages, Applications

As we all know, the plastic prototype is critical during the product development process, they are used for validation tests before the design release. ABS plastic, as one of the most widely used materials in rapid plastic prototypes, is widely used in various industries. in this article, we will explore how to make the ABS prototype and why it is so popular in the current world.

What is an ABS prototype?

An ABS prototype is a physical model created before mass production with ABS plastic material. ABS means Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and is widely used for creating plastic prototypes due to its ease of machining such as CNC machining, 3D printing, and injection molding.

ABS Material Properties

ABS is a terpolymer composed of acrylonitrile(15-35%), butadiene(5-30%), and styrene(40-60%). these elements give ABS several major properties as below:

• Chemical stability: ABS plastic is resistant to most chemicals such as acids, alkalis, minerals, and vegetable oils.
• High Dimension Stability: ABS parts can maintain dimensions and their properties over a long time.
• High Strength: ABS material has both high mechanical strength and impact strength, making it withstand high impact without loss of its properties.
• High rigidity: ABS material has high hardness, which makes it rigid and resistant to scratches and abrasions
• Excellent surface: ABS parts have an excellent surface which makes them widely used for aesthetic parts.

ABS material grades for plastic prototyping

There are different grades of ABS materials used in plastic prototyping and part manufacturing. Here are some common grades.

ABS General Purpose grade

General Purpose ABS has good machinability and can cover most of the applications of the ABS prototypes. it can be processed by extrusion to create ABS sheets which could be used by CNC prototyping and thermoforming to custom ABS prototypes. it also can be used by prototype injection molding process to create injected ABS prototypes.

ABS Flame Retardant Grade

Flame Retardant ABS is used for applications where flame resistance and heat resistance are needed such as electronic device housings. it is made by adding flame retardants to the base ABS material. it can be molded or extruded for different plastic prototyping processes.

ABS High Impact grade

High-impact grade ABS has better strength and toughness than general-purpose ABS. this grade ABS is commonly used where high impact resistance is required such as in toys and automotive components.

ABS UV-Resistant grade

UV-resistant grade ABS is widely used in outdoor applications due to UV radiation outdoors may cause degradation or color fading in general grade ABS. it is made by adding UV-resistant additives to the base ABS materials.

Advantages of ABS material in Rapid plastic prototyping

Easy to machine

ABS materials are easy to machine like milling, bonding, and cutting without breaking and injection with fewer defects than other materials. It applies to different plastic prototyping processes such as CNC machining, 3D printing, Urethane casting, and injection molding.

Easy for post-surface finishing

ABS is easy for the post-surface finishing of plastic prototyping such as painting, polishing, and sanding which can give the ABS prototype a good-looking appearance.

Cost-effective

ABS is a cheap material compared with other plastic materials such as polycarbonate, the cost is important for a prototype project. this is why engineers choose ABS when the project has a low budget.

Outstanding material properties

ABS material has good strength, good impact resistance, heat resistance, low-temperature resistance, and chemical resistance, making it the most widely used plastic in prototypes and parts making.

ABS plastic prototyping processes

CNC machining ABS

CNC machining can make high-accuracy ABS prototypes by CNC milling, CNC turning, and drilling on ABS sheets. it uses a rotating cutter to remove the material from the ABS blocks to form the shape according to the 3D data.

3D printing ABS

FDM(Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing is the most popular process for ABS plastics. it is an additive manufacturing process that creates ABS prototypes layer by layer till it creates a full physical part on a 3D printer. this process creates ABS prototypes very fast with a minimum lead time of hours.

Vacuum casting ABS

Vacuum casting involves using a silicone mold to cast ABS prototypes with a low cost for low-volume manufacturing, usually less than 100 pieces.

Prototype injection molding ABS

Prototype injection molding makes ABS prototypes with rapid injection tooling for the volume from 100 to 10,000 pieces. ABS prototypes created by this process have excellent surface qualities and high accuracy.

Applications of ABS prototypes

Automotive parts

The strength and toughness of ABS materials make them ideal for hand-panel prototypes of automotive parts, such as dashboards, doorknobs, etc., which can help engineers assess the feasibility of a design before actual production.

Electronic product housing

The good dimensional stability and surface treatment ability of ABS material make it suitable for the production of housings of mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic products, and these prototypes help to verify the appearance of the product design and assembly structure.

Medical devices

ABS prototypes play an important role in the design verification of medical devices, such as surgical tools, diagnostic equipment, ventilators, and more. these ABS prototypes are to ensure product safety and ergonomic design.

Toys

The toughness of ABS material makes it an ideal choice for making toy prototypes, such as remote-controlled cars, robot models, etc., which can help designers evaluate the appearance and structure before mass production.

Aerospace

The lightweight and strength of ABS materials make them suitable for making prototypes of small drones, aircraft, etc., which are used for evaluating aerodynamic design and structural strength.

Alternatives of ABS material for plastic prototyping

PC(Polycarbonate)

Polycarbonate is known for its high strength, impact resistance, and thermal resistance. it can replace ABS used in those applications where high strength and thermal resistance are required.

Modified PP(polypropylene)

Modified PP is widely used to replace ABS material to costs down. For example, PP(G204D) is suitable for applications with high impact requirements, while PP(HG3230) is used in applications with high rigidity requirements, and its shrinkage is close to or smaller than ABS.

PA6 (polyamide 6) :

PA6 can replace ABS in terms of rigidity and toughness and has the advantages of fatigue resistance and low density and weight.

ASA Resin:

ASA resin is equivalent to ABS in mechanical properties, and better than ABS in weather resistance, solvent resistance, and coloring properties, it is also an important engineering plastic.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you will understand the ABS material’s properties, grades, advantages, and applications. And also the processes of creating ABS prototypes. if you want to know more about how to create a plastic prototype, check out our blogs. KUSLA is a rapid prototyping factory that is capable of making high-quality ABS prototypes with all these processes and helps you find a low-cost way to meet your project requirements.

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