Do I need an enclosure to print ABS/ASA?

Use an enclosure for ABS and ASA when you can hold the air around the part hot, and treat a cool closed box as the same draft the open printer had. ABS printing, ASA printing, and warping are the three guides around this one.

What "enclosed" failed to fix

r/3Dprinting vvtizp already had ABS in an enclosure. The bed was 105 °C (221 °F), the nozzle was 250 °C (482 °F), the layer was 0.5 mm, the nozzle was a 1 mm CHT, and the speed was 120 mm/s. The layers still separated. A score-58 comment says heat the enclosure to 70 °C (158 °F). A score-16 comment says a smaller bead, about 1 mm wide and 0.2 mm high, or a slower speed, lets the plastic cool in a controlled way. eSUN ABS+ lists 230–260 °C (446–500 °F) and a bed of 90–110 °C (194–230 °F), so the post's 250 °C (482 °F) and 105 °C (221 °F) sit inside the row. Enclosure required is blank. 70 °C (158 °F) is the comment, not a stored chamber setpoint.

r/prusa3d 17d5ku8 is ASA on an MK3 in an enclosure at 36 degrees, warping the same way it warped with no enclosure. The leading comment, from someone who prints a lot of ASA, says wipe fingerprints with isopropyl, use the highest bed temperature, preheat at least 15 minutes by running the bed, turn the part-cooling fan off, and keep the part off the cooler outer edge of the bed. A score-17 comment says 36 degrees is way too low, starts at at least 45 degrees, and sees the chamber settle at 55, and keeps the electronics outside the box. The post and that comment write "degrees" and do not write a unit symbol. Prusament ASA lists 250–270 °C (482–518 °F) and 100–120 °C (212–248 °F). PolyLite ASA lists 235–260 °C (455–500 °F) and 90–110 °C (194–230 °F). Enclosure required is blank on both.

r/3Dprinting zp4gz5 is ABS in an enclosure that was itself outdoors. A score-35 comment says the enclosure has to raise the air temperature around the part, and a cold day outside works against that. A score-25 comment says the enclosure needs to be a minimum of 20–30 °C (68–86 °F), and that printing outside in 40 °F is unlikely to work without a heater.

Printers and the other two threads

The MK4S stores an optional enclosure, a 290 °C (554 °F) nozzle, and a 120 °C (248 °F) bed. The CORE One+ stores a heated enclosed chamber at the same maxima. Prusa filament fit is that comparison. ABS and ASA are the hubs. Build plates is the isopropyl step from the ASA comment.

r/prusa3d 1107u40 asks about printing Lack-enclosure parts in Polymaker PLA Pro when the instructions say PETG. A comment says their parts are black PLA, three years with no issues, and that those parts are not seeing temperatures above 100 °F or much load. That is a comment about the enclosure's own printed brackets.

r/3Dprinting 1rzvg8o asks for an enclosed printer that does not lock the user to a filament brand. A comment points at Prusa's site. The thread does not list an ABS temperature.

Questions