Materials / Compare
FDM ASA vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare FDM ASA vs. Steel AISI 1018 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | not given (tensile used) | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 37MPasourcetypical | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.45GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 1,050kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 35.2kN·m/kg | 47.3kN·m/kg34% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.33MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg10.9x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 75.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,528m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, typical | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, range | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 60µm growth7.92x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 13.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/m |
| Max service temperature | 92°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | not sourced |
| Values for | Bambu Lab ASA, TDS V3.0, printed specimens X-Y; nozzle 260 °C, bed 80 °C, 200 mm/s, 100% infill; annealed and dried 80 °C for 12 h before testing. | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
FDM ASA is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM ASA stronger than Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against tensile strength 37 MPa for FDM ASA (10.1x).
Which is lighter, FDM ASA or Steel AISI 1018?
FDM ASA is lighter: 1,050 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, FDM ASA or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 2.45 GPa for FDM ASA, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM ASA or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM ASA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | FDM ASA | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 10.9x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 21% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.73x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 34% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.61x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.36x heavier |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, FDM ASA or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 conducts heat better: 51.9 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM ASA.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for FDM ASA.