ABS thermoforming

Custom ABS thermoforming

Q: Can ABS be thermoformed?

Yes — ABS is one of the most thermoformable engineering plastics. It has a wide forming window, deep-draws without thinning excessively, and releases cleanly from soft tooling, making it ideal for vacuum and pressure forming of covers, housings and panels.

Q: What thickness of ABS can you thermoform?

From about 0.3 mm thin-gauge up to 10 mm thick-gauge sheet, all extruded in-house. Thin gauge suits trays and light covers; thick gauge suits structural enclosures and large panels.

Q: Is flame-retardant (UL 94 V-0) ABS available?

Yes — our Shield FR ABS is verified UL 94 V-0 from 1.5 mm and up, with low-temperature impact retention and halogen-free options, for rail (EN 45545), EV and electrical applications.

Q: Can thermoformed ABS be used outdoors?

Plain ABS yellows under UV. For outdoor parts we cap the ABS with PMMA or switch to ASA, both of which hold colour and gloss through years of sun exposure while keeping ABS-like formability.

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is the workhorse of thermoforming — a rare balance of impact strength, rigidity, heat resistance and surface quality that paints, prints and bonds beautifully. Indu Thermoformers vacuum- and pressure-forms ABS from sheet we extrude in-house, in general-purpose, impact-modified, flame-retardant (UL 94 V-0) and static-dissipative grades.

0.3 – 10 mmGP · IM · FR · ESDPaintable & bondableDeep-draw capable

Get a Quote Browse Products

Why ABS is the default thermoforming material

ABS deep-draws cleanly, holds crisp detail and comes off the tool with a surface that takes paint, hot-stamp, print and adhesive without special prep. It is tougher than HIPS, easier to form than polycarbonate, and far cheaper to tool than injection moulding — which is why the majority of thermoformed covers, housings and panels start as ABS. Its one weakness, outdoor UV, is solved with an ASA or PMMA cap where the part lives outside.

The ABS grades we form

We run general-purpose ABS for everyday covers and trays; impact-modified ABS for drop-prone cases and cold-temperature toughness; Shield FR ABS, verified UL 94 V-0 from 1.5 mm, for rail, EV and electrical enclosures; ESD ABS at 10⁶–10⁹ Ω/sq for electronics handling; and PMMA-capped ABS for a scratch-resistant, UV-stable high-gloss surface. Every grade is extruded on our own lines, so colour and thickness are matched to your part rather than a shelf.

Parts we thermoform in ABS

Machine covers & equipment enclosuresAutomotive interior trim & door panelsMedical device housingsLuggage & transit-case shellsAppliance panels & fasciasAMR & robot coversPOS displays & kiosk fasciasInstrument & console housings

ABS grades & datasheets

ABS General Purpose ABS Impact Modified Shield FR ABS (UL 94 V-0)ESD ABS PMMA-ABS (high gloss)

Full technical specifications for each grade are below.

Grade specifications & datasheets

Typical properties as printed on the StellarEx technical datasheet for each grade — download the full TDS or request a quote.

StellarEx ABS General Purpose

All-purpose extruded ABS — the workhorse grade for thermoforming.

Excellent thermoformability and deep-draw
High impact strength and surface toughness
Easily painted, printed, bonded and decorated
Matt, gloss or textured finish
Any colour matched — Pantone, RAL, NCS

Applications: Medical equipment housings & covers · Appliance panels — washing machines, fridges · Sanitary & bath products · Automotive interior trim & panels · POS displays · luggage · industrial covers

Download TDS Get a quote →

Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Specific gravity	1.045 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength @ yield	43.6 MPa	ASTM D638
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	420 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	1913 MPa	ASTM D790
HDT @ 1.8 MPa	94 °C	ASTM D648
Melt flow index	7.5 g/10 min	ASTM D1238
UL 94 @ 1.6 mm	HB	UL 94

Thickness: 0.3 – 10 mm · Width: wide-web · custom

StellarEx ABS Impact Modified

Impact-modified ABS — +20% Izod and retained cold-temperature toughness vs the GP grade.

Compounded with 5% impact modifier
+20% Izod uplift over GP ABS
Retained toughness down to −23 °C
Higher elongation, improved ductility
Wide colour range — Pantone, RAL, NCS matched

Applications: Heavy-duty equipment housings & medical · Luggage shells, tool & equipment cases · Automotive impact-prone interior parts · Cold-storage & outdoor applications · Drop-tested products · protective covers

Download TDS Get a quote →

Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Specific gravity	1.04 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength	41 MPa	ASTM D638
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	510 J/m	ASTM D256
Notched Izod @ −23 °C	90 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	1820 MPa	ASTM D790
HDT @ 1.8 MPa	91 °C	ASTM D648
UL 94 @ 1.6 mm	HB	UL 94

Thickness: 0.3 – 10 mm · Width: wide-web · custom

Fire retardant

StellarEx Shield FR ABS

Fire-retardant ABS — UL 94 V-0 verified from 1.5 mm; structural toughness with FR performance.

UL 94 V-0 verified at 1.5 mm and above
High structural toughness with FR performance
Excellent thermoformability and deep-draw
Low-temperature impact retention (−30 °C)
Halogen-free formulation available

Applications: Rail & bus interiors — panels, ducts, ceilings · EV battery enclosures — CCS trays, module covers · BESS module enclosure shells · Electrical cabinets — switchgear panels & doors · FR-rated structural housings

Download TDS Get a quote →

Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Specific gravity	1.19 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength @ yield	41 MPa	ASTM D638
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	260 J/m	ASTM D256
Notched Izod @ −30 °C	78 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	2650 MPa	ASTM D790
Flammability @ 2.1 mm	V-0 · 5VB	UL 94
Flammability @ 1.0 mm	V-2	UL 94

Thickness: 0.5 – 8.0 mm (V-0 at 1.5 – 6.0 mm) · Width: wide-web · custom

SpecialtyABS (static-dissipative)

StellarEx ESD ABS

Permanently static-dissipative ABS — electronics-handling grade, 10⁶–10⁹ Ω/sq.

Permanent static dissipation — not coating-based
Humidity-independent ESD performance
Tough ABS base for repeated handling
Thermoforms with standard tooling
Conductive (10⁴–10⁶ Ω) versions on request

Applications: ESD component & PCB handling trays · Electronics work-in-progress dunnage · Enclosures near sensitive electronics · Cleanroom carriers & kitting trays

Download TDS Get a quote →

Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Surface resistivity	10⁶ – 10⁹ Ω/sq	ASTM D257
Static decay (5 kV → 50 V)	< 2 s	FTMS 101C M4046
Specific gravity	1.06 g/cm³	ASTM D792
Tensile strength @ yield	38 MPa	ASTM D638
Notched Izod @ 23 °C	300 J/m	ASTM D256
Flexural modulus	1900 MPa	ASTM D790
HDT @ 1.8 MPa	90 °C	ASTM D648

Thickness: 0.5 – 6 mm · Width: up to 2000 mm

Specialty

StellarEx PMMA-ABS

Premium PMMA-capped ABS — sanitary, RV, appliance and outdoor-grade sheet.

Premium PMMA cap — gloss or matt finish
Excellent UV stability and weather resistance
Chemical and stain resistant — easy to clean
Scratch-resistant PMMA cap surface
Wide colour range — Pantone, RAL, NCS matched

Applications: Sanitary ware — bathtubs, shower trays, vanities · Caravan & RV exterior cladding panels · Premium appliance panels — fridges, washers · Hygiene & medical equipment housings · Wall cladding · furniture · outdoor signage

Download TDS Get a quote →

Typical properties (as printed on TDS)

Density	1.075 g/cm³	ISO 1183
Tensile yield strength	35 MPa	ISO 527
Elongation @ break	3 %	ISO 527
Flexural modulus	2100 MPa	ISO 178
Notched Charpy @ 23 °C	10 kJ/m²	ISO 179
Unnotched Charpy @ 23 °C	15 kJ/m²	ISO 179
HDT @ 1.8 MPa	96 °C	ISO 75-2

Thickness: 1.5 – 8 mm · Width: wide-web · custom

See all StellarEx grades on the Materials & grades page.

Why Indu for ABS thermoforming

In-house sheet extrusion

We extrude the sheet we form — grade, colour and thickness controlled from the pellet, with no outside vendor in the loop.

Largest bed in India

Thin- and thick-gauge lines, including the largest thermoforming bed in the country for oversized parts.

Tooling in 2–4 weeks

Moulds and trim fixtures designed and cut in-house on 5-axis CNC — fast, and cheap to revise.

ISO 9001 & full docs

8-gate inspection with COA, MTC, FAIR and PPAP-level documentation on request.

Frequently asked questions

Can ABS be thermoformed?

Yes — ABS is one of the most thermoformable engineering plastics. It has a wide forming window, deep-draws without thinning excessively, and releases cleanly from soft tooling, making it ideal for vacuum and pressure forming of covers, housings and panels.

What thickness of ABS can you thermoform?

From about 0.3 mm thin-gauge up to 10 mm thick-gauge sheet, all extruded in-house. Thin gauge suits trays and light covers; thick gauge suits structural enclosures and large panels.

Is flame-retardant (UL 94 V-0) ABS available?

Yes — our Shield FR ABS is verified UL 94 V-0 from 1.5 mm and up, with low-temperature impact retention and halogen-free options, for rail (EN 45545), EV and electrical applications.

Can thermoformed ABS be used outdoors?

Plain ABS yellows under UV. For outdoor parts we cap the ABS with PMMA or switch to ASA, both of which hold colour and gloss through years of sun exposure while keeping ABS-like formability.

Explore more

Materials & Grades →Machine Covers & Enclosures →Vacuum Forming →HIPS Thermoforming →

Let’s build it

Have an ABS part to form?

Send a drawing or sample — we reply with the right ABS grade, tooling approach and a costed quote, usually within 24 hours.

Get a Quote See the Product Library

ISO 9001:2015 certified · Most quotes back within 24 hours