Parts that get hot: what actually holds
Real deformation temperatures for PLA, PETG, ABS and resin, with examples of where each fails. For car, kitchen and electronics parts.
3 min read
The number that matters is not where the plastic melts, but where it starts to soften under its own weight. That is where a part stops working, long before it melts.
| Material | Deforms above | Where it fails |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | 55 °C | Car in the sun, dishwasher |
| PETG | 75 °C | Next to a motor or power supply |
| ABS | 95 °C | Direct contact with boiling water |
| Standard resin | 60 °C | Anywhere warm |
For a car dashboard in Barcelona in August, ABS. For an enclosure next to a power supply, PETG is enough. For a part inside an oven or near a hot end, none of the filaments we work with: that is metal or engineering-polymer territory.