How is the enclosure temperature derived?

The recommendation is anchored to the material's glass transition temperature (Tg). Keeping the chamber a margin below Tg lets each layer stay soft enough to bond and contract slowly. The tool starts at roughly Tg minus 50C and raises the target as part footprint grows, because larger parts accumulate more contraction stress.

Why does part size affect the target?

Warping is driven by differential contraction: as a hot layer cools it shrinks, and a long flat base accumulates more total shrinkage than a small one, pulling the corners up. Larger footprints therefore need a warmer, more uniform chamber to keep the whole part near the same temperature.

Do PLA and PETG need an enclosure?

Rarely. PLA has a low glass transition (around 60C) and barely warps; PETG is similarly forgiving. An enclosure can still help with drafts and fumes, but no specific chamber temperature is required. The tool flags these as enclosure-optional.

Passive vs active enclosure heating?

Small ABS or ASA parts often reach an adequate chamber temperature passively from bed and hotend waste heat in a closed box. Large parts, polycarbonate, or cold rooms usually need active heating (a chamber heater or a high bed temperature with good insulation) to hit the target reliably.

Is a hotter chamber always better?

No. Too hot softens belts, electronics, and the filament feed path, and can cause heat creep and clogs. The recommendation targets the minimum needed to stay above the part's warp threshold, not the maximum the box can reach.

What is the Enclosure Temperature Calculator?

Recommends a minimum enclosure air temperature for warp-prone materials (ABS, ASA, PC, Nylon) based on the polymer's glass transition and the part footprint. Keeping the chamber warm reduces thermal contraction, warping, and layer delamination. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Enclosure Temperature Calculator

Name: Enclosure Temperature Calculator
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Warp-prone materials like ABS, ASA, and polycarbonate shrink sharply as they cool. A warm, stable enclosure keeps the whole part near its glass transition while printing, so it contracts slowly and evenly instead of curling off the bed. This tool recommends the minimum chamber air temperature for your material and part size.

How it works

The recommendation is anchored to the material’s glass transition temperature (Tg) — the point below which the polymer turns rigid. The strategy is to keep the chamber warm enough that freshly printed layers stay slightly flexible and bond well, then cool slowly and uniformly.

Target chamber = (Tg - 50C) baseline, raised with part footprint

Larger flat footprints accumulate more contraction stress, so the target rises a few degrees per 100mm of base dimension, clamped to a sensible ceiling well below Tg (you never want to soften the part itself or the printer’s moving parts).

Glass transition reference

Material	Tg (approx)	Enclosure
PLA	60C	Optional
PETG	80C	Optional
ABS	105C	Recommended
ASA	100C	Recommended
Nylon (PA)	70-90C	Recommended
Polycarbonate	145C	Required, often active

Worked example

A 180mm-wide ABS bracket (Tg around 105C):

Baseline = 105 - 50 = 55C
Footprint bump: +~6C for the large 180mm base
Recommended chamber: about 60-61C, achievable passively in a well-sealed box with a hot bed

A 50mm ASA part needs only the baseline (around 50C), usually reached passively. A large polycarbonate part can call for 70C-plus and active chamber heating.

Tips and notes

Seal drafts: an open door or gap lets cold air hit the part and triggers localised warping.
A brim or a wide bed-adhesion line buys margin when you cannot fully hit the target.
Do not overheat — excessive chamber temperature softens belts, stepper drivers, and the filament path, causing clogs.
Let the part cool inside the closed enclosure after printing for the most even contraction.

All recommendations are computed locally in your browser.