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3D printer running costs


How Much Electric Power Does a 3D Printer Use? – 3D Printerly

Besides the cost of the 3D printer itself and the material to actually print out objects, there’s another thing creeps into people’s minds. Just how much electric is this thing using?!

It is a fair question. As fun as it is to 3D print our own objects, we want it to be as cost effective as possible. In this post I’m going to identify just how much power these 3D printers are using up and ways to manage it. 

The average 3D printer with a hotend at 205°C and heated bed at 60°C draws an average power of 70 watts. For a 10-hour print, this would use 0.7kWh which is around 9 cents. The electric power your 3D printer uses depends mainly on the size of your printer and the temperature of the heated bed and nozzle.

There’s some more pretty useful information that you’ll want to know in the rest of this article, so keep on reading to get the proper knowledge on electricity with 3D printers.

If you are interested in seeing some of the best tools and accessories for your 3D printers, you can find them easily by clicking here (Amazon).

Determine Power Use by 3D Printer Specifications

Your 3D printer specifications for the power source and maximum/minimum power ratings are the answers you need so you know the limits of power consumption.

As an example, if a printer has a 30A 12V power source, it will have a maximum Watt of 360 (30*12=360), but the printer won’t always run at the upper limit. These maximums will kick in when heating up the necessary parts to start the printing process but will fall much lower as the printing is happening. 

A great low-power 3D printer has to be the Ender 3 (Amazon), it’s an all-round popular machine that is perfect for beginners with quality that matches the most premium printers out there. You’ll see from the glowing reviews just how good it is!

Jason King from 3DPrintHQ used the MakerBot Replicator 2 printer and found that the energy costs were only $0. 05 for a 5-hour print. 3D printing only used 50 watts per hour, which is comparable to an HP Laser Jet printer on stand-by, not even while printing or 1 use of your toaster.  

Low Relative Cost of Power

When looking at the overall cost of 3D printing, power costs are something that is relatively very low and not something to worry about. Some printers will of course be more efficient than others, but not at such a point that it’s a big determining factor when choosing a printer over another. 

Now there are slight differences in how much power a 3D printer is using depending on what the printer is actually doing. When the printer is preheating to the set temperature, if the print bed is relatively large it will use slightly more power than when printing.  

The first real use of electric power when a 3D printer is turned on is the heating of the print bed, then comes in the nozzle is heated to the temperature for the specific material. While printing, you will get spikes in the power usage depending on if the heated platform is on to maintain the ideal temperature.  

From what I’ve read around, it looks like the average 3D printer consumers as much electric as your standard fridge. 

What Affects How Much Power is Used?

Strathprints done a test to compare the power consumption between four different 3D printers and confirmed a few things. The lower the layer thickness of the material, the longer a print will take therefore leading to a higher power consumption overall.

If you can speed up your prints you’ll be using less power overall so check out my post 8 Ways to Speed Up Your 3D Printer Without Losing Quality.

When the heating efficiency of a print bed or hot end is good, it will result in less power being used due to not having to constantly keep the temperatures hot as much.  

The video below shows the wide differences in how much electricity a 3D printer will use when incorporating the heated bed.

A good idea to lower how much heating your bed has to do is to use an Ashata Heat Insulator Mat. It has great thermal conductivity and greatly reduces heat and cooling loss of your heated bed.

The MakerBot-Replicator 2X had a baseline of between 40-75 watts to power the controller and motor, but peaked to 180 watts when heat was needed. The hotter the necessary print bed temperature, the more frequent the 3D printer drew power shown by fluctuations in the watt meter used.  

The test showed that there is quite a variance between the power consumption of 3D printers. So, it can be concluded that 3D printers don’t consume a similar level of power and it really does depend on many factors.   

The set-up parameters of your 3D printer will have a pronounced influence on the overall power consumption. It is important to be familiar with the process of 3D printing so you can print high quality products at lower electricity levels. 

If you want to take an extra step, get yourself an enclosure. A great one is the Sovol Warm Enclosure for Ender 3D Printers. It’s pretty pricey, but it will last you years and usually results in better prints.

How Do I Lower Electricity Costs With a 3D Printer?

  • Use a smaller 3D printer
  • Use 3D printing materials that don’t require a heated bed or high nozzle temperatures (PLA)
  • Implement 3D printer settings that make 3D prints quicker
  • Change to a larger nozzle so your prints don’t last as long
  • Make sure you are 3D printing in a fairly warm environment

When it comes down to lowering power costs with your 3D printer, it boils down to finding ways that speed up your 3D prints and doesn’t require as much heating.

The simple things you can do to speed up prints is to use a bigger nozzle, use less infill, print less often, or printing more things at once rather than doing them separately.

Most of the electricity use comes from the heating elements, so focus on reducing the heat and you’ll be able to save more on power.

This isn’t usually a problem since the associated costs aren’t relatively high. You’re definitely going to be using more money on the filament itself than you ever would with the electricity.

How Much Power Does a 3D Printer Use?

How Much Electric Does an Ender 3 Use?

One Ender 3 user who had their 3D printer running for 4 hours only used around 0.5kWh (kilowatt-hour), which consisted of heating up twice (using 280 watts per). When you calculate this on a per hour basis, we can 0.12kWh per hour of using an Ender 3.

People like to know how much power would cost if their Ender 3 was running for a full day, so let’s take a 24-hour period.

24 * 0. 12kWh = 2.88kWh

The average cost of one kilowatt-hour across the US is 12 cents according to NPR, so a full 24 hours of running an Ender 3 would cost $0.35. If you ran your Ender 3 24 hours for the whole month, it would cost you around $11.

The Ender 3 has a 360W power supply (24V DC at 15A.

  • Heated Bed – 220W
  • 4 Stepper Motors – 16W
  • Fans, Mainboard, LCD – 1-2W

After these parts, you should have a spare 60-70 Watts in spare capacity, which allows you to add extra things.

A basic set of 5050 LED lights connected to your 3D printer can be around 20W.

Can You Get Electric Shocks From a 3D Printer?

Now that you know 3D printers don’t actually use that much electricity, you might be wondering whether they are still capable of giving you electric shock. This is a valid question and the answer is pretty simple.

A 3D printer can give you electric shock if you don’t handle it properly, but with proper use, you will be safe from getting an electric shock.

One 3D printer user actually received an electric shock from the power supply, but it was through misuse. After setting up their 3D printer, they used an EU to UK adapter and set the voltage to 230V.

It would have been a better idea to purchase or get the seller to send them a UK plug rather than use an adapter. This could have happened due to poor grounding, because a small current can flow through the connections from the live wire.

Luckily it was just a harmless tingle/shock! You shouldn’t use electronics which are not grounded when they are supposed to be.

How Can I Measure My Actual Electricity Use?

When it comes to electricity use, there really isn’t a perfect measurement we can give you because there are many differences and variables. The best thing you can do to really know how much power you are using is to measure it yourself, rather than us guess for you.

You can purchase a power meter which has an in-built power usage monitor. High-end ones can even calculate the cost of your power usage, so it can easily answer your question.

There are plenty of electricity monitors out there, so I done some research and found one that works very well for most people.

The Poniie PN1500 Portable Electricity Monitor is going to be your best choice. Not only is it officially ‘Amazon’s Choice’ at time of writing, but it is the highest rated out of all the monitors at 4.8/5.

Here’s what’s good about this power monitor:

  • Very easy to use, with access to different power parameters
  • High-precision current sensor
  • Backlight & memory with large digital numbers for easy viewing
  • Ability to start detection at just 0.20W so you can monitor almost anything
  • 1 full year warranty

You can easily monitor electrical use in real time and it has multiple uses which can allow you to save on future electricity bills. Whether you test other appliances like an old refrigerator or other power-wasting appliances.

Range Of Electricity Use For A 3D Printer

An example of the minimum and maximum levels of power a 3D printer can use is the MakerBot Replicator+, which according to the specs has between 100-240 volts and 0. 43-0.76 amps. To convert this, we simply need to multiply the lower ends and higher ends to get our limits.  

100 volts * 0.43 amps = 43 watts 

240 volts * 0.76 amps = 182.4 watts 

So, the power can range anywhere between 43 and 182.4 watts. 

From the watts, we convert this to kilowatts per hour (KwH) by dividing the watts by 1000 then multiplying the number of hours in use. For example, if you had a print that lasted 5 hours the calculation would be: 

43 watts/1000 = 0.043 Kw * 5 hours = 0.215 KwH for the lower limit.  

182.4 watts/1000 = 0.182 Kw * 5 = 0.912 KwH for the upper limit. 

Just as an example, if we take the happy middle for these two power measurements, we’d have 0.56 KWh, costing you only 5-6c in electricity per hour. So now you have a bit of a gauge in just how much electric is used in 3D printing, which isn’t much at all but it can slowly build up over time.

Compared to the actual cost of the 3D printer, the filament materials and other tools and equipment the electric power required for 3D printers is something that you shouldn’t have to worry about.

When we’re talking about sizeable professional printers, then the power costs could be something to take into consideration, but for your standard domestic 3D printer it is very low cost. 

If you love great quality 3D prints, you’ll love the AMX3d Pro Grade 3D Printer Tool Kit from Amazon. It is a staple set of 3D printing tools that gives you everything you need to remove, clean & finish your 3D prints.

It gives you the ability to:

  • Easily clean your 3D prints – 25-piece kit with 13 knife blades and 3 handles, long tweezers, needle nose pliers, and glue stick.
  • Simply remove 3D prints – stop damaging your 3D prints by using one of the 3 specialized removal tools.
  • Perfectly finish your 3D prints – the 3-piece, 6-tool precision scraper/pick/knife blade combo can get into small crevices to get a great finish.
  • Become a 3D printing pro!

How to calculate 3D printing costs?

We often see online discussions about the price of 3D prints, or more specifically: how to calculate the price for having something 3D printed. Since there are many myths floating around, we figured out that many people will be interested in a deep dive into various aspects of this field. So, how do you set the right price for a 3D print? We’ll take you through the main aspects of 3D printing pricing that affect the price, however, if you’re not really keen on learning every single detail, feel free to scroll down to the end – we have a small surprise for you there.

Let’s imagine a purely hypothetical example of a certain Josef from Prague (any similarities to actual persons or places are purely coincidental), who bought three 3D printers to make some profit: he has the Original Prusa i3 MK3S, Original Prusa MINI, and the Original Prusa SL1.

 

A customer ordered this test object from Josef and wishes to know the price of the object printed on the printers mentioned above. It should be printed with Prusament PLA Orange (MK3s and MINI) and with Prusa Orange Tough resin (SL1).

Material costs

Josef already knows that the most expensive aspects are manpower and filament (or resin). Filament and resin prices depend on the manufacturer’s pricing, which makes counting the material costs very simple. 1kg of Prusament PLA Orange costs 24.99 USD (without tax and shipping) and according to PrusaSlicer, one tree frog model consumes 6.27 g of filament (basic settings – 0.15mm layer height, 15% gyroid infill).

Josef simply calculated (24.99 / 1000 * 6,27) that material for one tree frog on the MK3s or MINI will cost him 0.15 USD. Printing a tree frog without supports on the SL1 (0.05mm layer height) will consume 10.43 ml resin – this costs 0.6 USD. If the customer wants to print it with other materials, the price could rise a lot. There are filaments with a price exceeding 90 USD/kg and resins more expensive than 315 USD/kg.

The bottom line here is pretty simple: Material cost = filament price / filament weight (g) * model weight (g)

Manpower costs

Josef values his work at 9. 50 USD/hour (calculated from average wage in the Czech Republic for the year 2020). He already knows that print preparation (including slicing) takes him approximately 5 minutes (10 minutes in case the resin in the SL1 needs to be changed). Therefore, he calculated the work on one treefrog to 0.8 USD for MK3s/MINI and 1.6 USD for SL1. It’s not too expensive to prepare small models downloaded from the internet. However, it’s important to know that plenty of models require more difficult print preparations. Even slicing alone can take even 30 minutes or more – e.g. preparing supports for SLA printing using manual supports can take a long time.

The price for human labor can, in many cases, reach dozens of USD, especially in cases when something completely new has to be designed. Even a relatively simple technical part can take several hours to draw, which increases the price dramatically.

3D printer operation costs

Another thing that Josef calculated was 3D printer operation costs. He started with electricity: according to the local electricity distributor’s rates, 1 kWh costs from 0.07 USD to 0.09 USD. Let’s work with 0.09 USD. The printer input power depends on several factors, however, most of the time it needs around 100-150 W. Printing a tree frog on the MK3s takes 1h 16 min, 1h 10min on the MINI, and 1h 48 min on the SL1. With 150W power input (usually it’s not that much), electricity for printing one tree frog will be less than 0,023 USD. Such a low price is practically negligible.

On the other hand, Josef would like to recoup the money he spent on buying his printers within 6 months (4392 hours) of printing. This led him to add a fixed fee to printing hour costs. The fee (based on our actual printer prices) is 0.21 USD/hour for the MK3S, 0.1 USD/hour for the MINI, and 0.36 USD/hour for the SL1.

3D printer operation costs = Printer price / required investment return time (h) * print time (h)

Electricity cost = negligible

Margin

Josef is still afraid that his investment might not return with these prices. There are other factors coming into play as well: for example, a printing accident could occur, causing the loss of filament. Or there may be extra maintenance costs. The most common issues are usually print quality problems (e.g. printing large ASA-based objects can lead to warping etc.). You can head over to our older articles about print quality and troubleshooting.

In other words, it’s not easy to calculate a price that would cover all potential issues and/or mistakes. It largely depends on the user’s experience and many other factors. In this case, Josef has to observe what percentage of prints tend to fail over a long period, and what do these failures cost him. However, for starters, he set the margin to be 30% of the material (filament or resin) price.

So, let’s sum up the order: Josef charged the customer the following prices: 1.3 USD (MK3s), 1.16 USD (MINI), and 3.15 USD (SL1), tax not included. Certainly, there will be many people who see it differently – there are customers who won’t pay larger sums of money and there are makers who don’t see it profitable enough.

The purpose of this guide is to give you an overview of all things you should take into account when calculating the costs. Basically, you need to include the material costs, time spent on print preparations, and some kind of “failure insurance”, plus general running costs. The price for energy consumed is almost negligible. Really long prints will be around a dollar, tops. Obviously, we did not include taxes – if you want to start a business with commissioned 3D printing, you need to check your country’s laws regarding this kind of work.

Here’s a complete recap of Josef’s order:
Material: 0.15 (MK3s) + 0.15 (MINI) + 0.6 (SL1) USD
Labor: 0.8 (MK3s) + 0.8 (MINI) + 1.6 (SL1) USD
Printer operation: 0.27 (MK3s) + 0. 12 (MINI) + 0.65 (SL1) USD
Margin (30% of material cost): 0.05 (MK3s) + 0.05 (MINI) + 0.18 (SL1) USD
Total: 5.42 USD

Finally, let’s see how the price would change if the customer wanted to have a truly large and complex model printed on the MK3s. Again, it’s a downloaded model, which is pretty much ready to print, however, it takes 1 day, 17 hours, and 48 minutes to finish. The material of choice is a non-standard carbon fiber composite material XT-CF20, which costs 49.99 USD and we will need 756 g to finish the print. Other values necessary for the calculation remain the same:

Material: (49.99 / 750) * 756 = 50.39 USD
Labor: 0.8 USD
Printer operation: 0.21 * 41.8 + 0.023 * 41.8 = 9.74 USD
Margin (30% of material cost): 50,39 * 0,3 = 15,12 USD
Total: 76.05 USD

It comes as no surprise that larger objects and expensive materials also mean much higher final prices, even though the price for labor stays the same. Printer running/maintenance costs gradually increase with printed hours. Similarly, the price can increase even with seemingly simple parts, if it needs more of Josef’s time (for example drawing the part, manual editing of supports etc.).

3D print calculators

We know that there’s a lot of things to cover, so this is why we made this handy 3D Printing Price Calculator! It’s incredibly easy to use: just fill in the data and it will give you the result immediately! You can set every necessary attribute there and you can share your results with other people. The calculator can also import existing G-codes, saving you even more time. Give it a go!

Do you use 3D printing to make a living? Share your experience with pricing and general thoughts in the comment section – we’re sure that many others will find it useful!

Happy printing!

How to calculate the cost of printing on a 3D printer

For some ideas, 3D printing is the fastest and easiest solution. In some situations, purchasing your own 3D printer can be a good solution, but sometimes it is much more profitable and faster to order the necessary product from a company specializing in 3D printing. Yes, and many owners of a 3D printer are thinking about how to “monetize” their hobby, but how to correctly calculate their costs?

Despite the fact that it is customary to indicate the price per gram of working material, simply multiplying the weight of the model by the cost of 1 gram will be wrong. In addition to the cost of consumables, many more, at first glance, non-obvious costs are added to the price of the product. nine0003

Each 3D printing technology uses its own consumables. Let's analyze the most popular and affordable of them.

Available technologies and key differences

Currently, a huge number of 3D devices have appeared, from small desktop ones that fit on the desktop to huge industrial machines. Among the most affordable, 2 technologies can be distinguished - FDM and photopolymer printers (LCD / DLP / SLA).

FDM 3D printing

Today, the most affordable 3D printing technology is FDM. A variety of materials and 3D printers allow FDM to be applied to a wide range of applications.


Schematic operation of FDM printer

A large selection makes it easy to choose a 3D printer for a specific task or find a universal device.

The material for printing is a plastic thread - filament. On the market you can find filament for various tasks, for every “taste” and budget. These can be very inexpensive ABS and PLA plastics or specific ones - conductive, burnable, etc. nine0003

Pros:

Cons:

Despite the fact that FDM allows you to print a wide range of plastics with different properties, the technology has some limitations. For example, it is impossible to obtain a perfectly smooth surface, to produce miniature and very thin elements, or to produce parts with very complex internal geometry with high accuracy.

Photopolymer printing

Photopolymer printers can work on one of 3 technologies - SLA, DLP or LCD. These devices will come to the rescue if you need to make a small but very detailed model with many small details. nine0003


How photopolymer printers work

As a consumable material, a photopolymer resin hardened by UV radiation is used. Now there is a wide variety of photopolymer resins for every taste. From particularly strong and precise engineering or jewelry resins to soft flexes.

Pros:

  • High print precision

    nine0060

  • Good surface quality

  • A wide variety of printers and consumables

Minuses:

Photopolymer printers have shown themselves well in a variety of industries that require a perfectly smooth surface and high accuracy. They are used in dentistry, the jewelry industry, for making miniature master models for casting, and much more. nine0003

Industrial printers

These are already industrial machines, which require a separate room and sometimes certain requirements for ventilation, etc. In this article, we will not analyze these devices in detail, but briefly consider the most popular technologies.

FDM

In addition to desktop devices using FDM technology, industrial printers that work on the same principle are common.

This category includes devices with a large print area (from 30x30x30 cm and more). For example, Raise Pro2 with a print area of ​​30x30x30 cm.


Raise Pro2

Or machines designed for printing with refractory materials (eg PEEK). Such 3D printers usually have an active thermal chamber, and the extruder can be heated above 400 degrees.


nine0021 CreatBot F160-PEEK designed to work with refractory plastics

Photopolymer printers

Industrial photopolymer devices usually have a much larger working area, compared to their "home" brothers. In addition, many processes have been optimized and automated for faster operation. On such printers, you can quickly and accurately produce a small batch of models, a large prototype or a master model. nine0003


Prismlab Large Area Industrial Resin Printer Family

3DP

3DP - Three-Dimensional Printing (translated as three-dimensional printing) is a logical continuation of conventional two-dimensional printers. Printing is done using nozzles that selectively apply a binder to the material (usually gypsum). A dye can be added to the binder and the model will be colored. nine0003

Colored plaster model

Since the plaster model is fragile, a similar principle is used for printing with metals. Only the finished product needs to be treated in an oven to remove the binder and improve strength. But despite the processing, such metal prints will still be inferior in strength to cast products.

MJM

This is a proprietary technology of 3D Systems. MJM is a mix of FDM, 3DP and sometimes SLA (depending on material chosen). Printing is done using a variety of small nozzles (from 96 to 488) located on the head of the machine. The accuracy and quality of the surface of models made in this way is in no way inferior to photopolymer printers.


Models made with MJM technology

Such devices can work with photopolymer resins, wax or thermoplastics. You can combine several materials at once - for example, for complex models, you can use wax as a support. nine0003

SLM

SLM is the layer-by-layer sintering of metal powder using a powerful laser. There are several similar technologies - SHS/SLS. The principle of operation is the same, only a thermal print head is used instead of a laser beam.

SLM Turbine

As a material for printing, you can use powders of various metals - gold, stainless steel, aluminum, various alloys, etc. nine0003

During printing, the working chamber is filled with an inert gas to prevent oxidation of metals. This allows printing even with titanium powder.

Models made by this method are in no way inferior, and sometimes even superior, to cast products. SLM allows you to produce models with complex internal geometry that cannot be produced by another method (casting or milling).

Cost of 3D printing

The cost of a model usually consists of several factors.

  • Equipment depreciation. The printer, like any machine, requires maintenance and periodic replacement of some parts. During operation, belts gradually stretch, bushings or linear bearings wear out. For example, when bushings or linear bearings are worn; shafts may wear out and need to be replaced.

Cost of materials

The main cost item for a 3D printer is, of course, the printed material.;

FDM (plastic filament)

Since FDM technology is by far the most common, the choice of filaments is very diverse.

  • Engineering plastics are usually nylon with various fillers added to improve the physical characteristics of the finished model. Special cost. plastics starts from 2000r per coil and above. It all depends on the manufacturer and filler (carbon fiber, fiberglass, etc.). nine0003

  • Decorative plastics are used to imitate various materials. Plastic can simply be unusually colored (luminous, transparent plastics) or a special filler is added to it (plastics with metal powder). The cost of decorative plastics starts from 1500 rubles per coil and more, depending on the filler.

A big advantage of FDM is the diverse choice of materials to work with. This allows, having one printer, to produce almost any product - from a child's toy to a complex engineering prototype. nine0003

Photopolymers (resin)

Photopolymer resin printing technology is becoming more and more accessible. There are many different resins.

  • The cost of ordinary colored resin starts from 2500 rubles per 0.5 kg (volume +/- 0.5 l). You can find a smaller volume of resin (250 gr) on sale. You can buy several different resins in small containers and find out in practice which one is best for a particular model. nine0003

  • Engineering resins are resins with increased strength. They can be used not only for printing decorative items, but also for making functional prototypes and models. The cost for 0.5 kg starts from 5900r and above.

  • Special resins - burnable, dental, soft flexes, etc. Depending on the resin, the price for 0.5 kg can start from 4800 rubles and more. It all depends on the characteristics of the resin. nine0003

Photopolymer resins have not yet reached such a variety as FDM filaments, but they are surely catching up. Although due to the fact that a liter of resin costs significantly more than a spool of filament, the cost of the product is much higher.

Print examples

FDM

Mag Pull (quick release loop) for G3 magazines.

The model was downloaded for free from an open source (the file can be downloaded here). Printing with engineering carbon-filled plastic (price per spool from 4700 rubles). The weight of the model with support is about 25 grams. Post-processing was not needed. The cost of the finished model is 250 rubles. nine0015


Plastic fastener

The file was downloaded from an open source (can be downloaded here). Plastic - carbon-filled nylon (price per coil from 4700r). The weight of the finished product is about 20 grams. Print without post-processing. The total cost is 200 rubles.



Model watch

The model is modeled to order (the cost of modeling is from 1000 rubles). The product is printed on an industrial printer using soluble support. Print without post-processing. The cost of the finished product - from 700 rubles per piece (depends on the number of required products). nine0003


Traction prosthesis

The model is taken from an open source (you can download the modified version of the prosthesis here). The weight of the used material is about 600 gr, printed with ABS plastic (the cost of the coil is from 800 r). After printing, post-processing and assembly took place. The total cost of the product - from 3000 r (depends on the print material, support material, filling, etc.).


nine0003

Pedal layout

Production of a 3D model according to the drawing (from 1000 r). The weight of the finished model is about 200 gr. The product was printed with engineering carbon-filled plastic (the cost of the coil is from 4700 r). Post-processing was not needed. The cost of the finished product is about 3000 rubles.

Photopolymer printers

Model jaws for crowns

Files for printing were obtained using a 3D scanner and finalized in a 3D editor (the cost of scanning is from 3000 r, the cost of manual revision is from 1000 r). Printing on an industrial photopolymer printer. Post-processing is not needed. The cost of the finished product is from 80 r per gram.


Burnout resin rings

The model is made to order. Printing on a desktop SLA printer with a burnable polymer. Post-processing is not needed. The cost of the finished product is 200 rubles per product. nine0003


Miniatures

The models were bought on the myminifactory website (the cost of the model is from $2). Made with a desktop DLP printer. Post-processing was not required. The cost of the finished figurine is from 70 r per gram.

Custom 3D printing

Many owners of 3D printers are thinking about monetizing their hobby. But you should understand that the price of 3D printing “for yourself” and the price of commercial printing are very different. nine0003

When starting to print to order, it is better to have several printers working on different technologies.

Cost of commercial 3D printing

In addition to the cost of the model, to the commercial production of products, you can add:

  • Modeling. Often the client needs not only to make a part, but to pre-model it. It can be a simple cogwheel that doesn't take long to model, or it can be a complex sculpture that takes more time to model than it does to make. nine0003

  • Model post-processing. This can be simply the removal of supports, with cleaning of the place of their contact with the product, or a complete processing cycle (puttying, surface grinding, painting, etc.).

It should be borne in mind that it is not always possible to print the model the first time. Sometimes it may take several attempts. And these are additional costs.

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What is unprofitable to print

Despite the wide possibilities of 3D printing, there are models that are unprofitable to make on a 3D printer. For such models, it is better to use other manufacturing methods.

Commercial print examples

Jewelry for further casting


Manufacture of promotional items and souvenirs


Piece miniatures or master model for further casting


3D printed model

Profitable to print on a 3D printer:

  • If the item is only sold as an assembly. For example, a small gear broke in the mechanism, but the mechanism is sold only “assembly”. It is much cheaper to make the desired gear on a 3D printer than to buy the entire mechanism. nine0003

  • A small batch of parts. Small batches, especially models with complex geometry, are more profitable to produce on a 3D printer than by casting or other methods.

Totals

If you need several models or a small project, sometimes it will be more expedient to outsource manufacturing. After all, in addition to buying equipment and materials, you will have to understand the nuances of the settings and the characteristics of various materials. nine0003

Buying a 3D printer for commercial use is justified if you can fully load it with work or then it can be used for other purposes.

To print to order, you need to have several printers working on different technologies. It is better to get several devices with a smaller print area than to buy just one printer, albeit with a large working area.

How much does a 3D printer cost?

3D printing is a one-stop solution for a wide range of applications, from high-resolution model production to rapid prototyping, rapid tooling for traditional manufacturing processes, production of aids and end-use models. nine0003

However, when you consider investing in a 3D printer, the viability of a solution usually boils down to a simple question: Is it cost-effective for your business? How much does a 3D printer cost and how much time and money can it save your business?

3D printer prices range from $200 to $500,000 depending on the printing process, materials, and complexity of the solution.

In this guide, we'll break down 3D printing costs by technology, compare outsourcing versus in-house manufacturing, list factors to consider when calculating the cost of each model, and look at what else to look for when comparing different solutions. for 3D printing and other production methods. nine0003

Interactive

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The three best-known plastic 3D printing technologies today are Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).

Each technology has its advantages and disadvantages - take a look at the infographic:

Download this high resolution infographic here. Interested in learning more about FDM, SLA and SLS 3D printing technologies? Check out our detailed guide.

Prices for 3D printers have dropped significantly in recent years, and today all three technologies are available in compact, low cost systems.

FDM generally produces models at a lower cost if you only print relatively simple prototypes in limited numbers. SLA technology offers higher resolution and quality, as well as a wide choice of 3D printing materials at a slightly higher price. But this difference is quickly offset when you print complex designs or larger batches due to the less labor-intensive post-processing process. Finally, SLS technology is the most cost effective for medium to high volume production of high quality functional models. nine0003

Comparing the total cost of different 3D printers by price tags alone will not give you a complete picture of how the cost of a 3D printer and a printed model will compare. The cost of 3D printing materials and labor significantly affects the cost of a model, depending on the application and your production needs.

Let's look at the different factors and costs for each process.

FDM, also known as Fused Filament Manufacturing (FFF), is a printing method where the parts of a model are made by melting and extruding a thermoplastic filament, which the printer's nozzle applies layer by layer onto the model being made. nine0003

FDM is the most popular form of consumer grade 3D printing, fueled by the proliferation of hobbyist 3D printers. However, professional and industrial FDM printers are also popular among professionals.

The cheapest 3D printers are FDM printers. DIY kits for FDM 3D printers start at $200. However, most of these models are more like toys or DIY projects that take a significant amount of time to build, set up and calibrate. The quality of the print largely depends on the success of these operations. In addition, machines require repairs and regular maintenance to keep them working, so they are more suitable for people with a higher engineering education who have a lot of time and patience. nine0003

Hobbyist FDM 3D printers cost between $500 and $1,500, come pre-assembled or unassembled, require less setup, but have the same disadvantages as the cheapest 3D printers. More expensive models are capable of large print volumes and work with a wide variety of materials besides low temperature ones such as PLA.

Professional 3D FDM printers start at $2,500 and large format professional FDM printers are available from $4,000. The cost of the most modern industrial FDM printers can exceed 10,000 US dollars. Most of these printers come pre-assembled and calibrated in the box, or they can be automatically calibrated. Printers in this category offer better print quality, a wider range of media, higher print volumes, improved reliability, and ease of use and maintenance. In addition, professional 3D printer manufacturers offer customer support services for troubleshooting. nine0003

Material costs for FDM 3D printing range from $50 to $150/kg for most standard and engineering filaments, and $100 to $200/kg for auxiliary materials. There are also cheaper alternatives, but they are of lower quality.

In addition, FDM printing can be very labor intensive. Successful printing of complex models requires support structures that must be removed manually or dissolved in water. To obtain a high quality surface and remove layer lines, lengthy manual post-processing of models, such as sanding, is necessary. nine0003

SLA 3D printers use the process of photopolymerization, that is, the conversion of liquid polymers into hardened plastic using a laser. SLA is one of the most popular processes among professionals due to its high resolution, accuracy and material versatility.

Models printed on SLA printers have the highest precision, sharpest detail and smoothest surface possible of any plastic 3D printing technology. But the main advantage of the SLA method is its versatility. SLA polymers have a wide range of optical, mechanical and thermal properties that match those of standard, engineering and industrial thermoplastics. nine0003

SLA 3D printers can handle a wide range of resin materials for a wide variety of applications.

SLA used to be used only in large and complex industrial 3D printers costing over $200,000, but the process is now much more affordable. With the Formlabs Form 3+ Printer, businesses can now use industrial quality SLA printing for as little as $3,750. With Form 3L, large format SLA printing starts at just $11,000. nine0003

Stereolithographic 3D printers will be shipped in a box assembled and calibrated. These are professional tools that are highly reliable and require virtually no maintenance. Technical support is also always available. It provides troubleshooting in a critical situation (but its probability is extremely small).

Most standard and engineered polymers for SLA technology cost between $149 and $200 per liter. nine0003

SLA printers are easy to use and many workflow steps such as rinsing and final curing can be automated to reduce labor costs. Printed models have a high quality surface immediately after printing and require only simple post-processing to remove supporting structures.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printers use a high power laser to sinter fine polymer powder particles. The unsprayed powder supports the model during printing and eliminates the need for special support structures. This makes SLS ideal for complex geometries, including internal features, grooves, thin walls, and negative taper. nine0003

Models produced using SLS printing have excellent mechanical characteristics - their strength can be compared with the strength of injection molded parts. As a result, SLS technology is the most popular plastic 3D printing process for industrial applications.

SLS printed nylon models are ideal for a range of functional applications, from consumer product design to healthcare applications.

Like SLA, SLS was previously only available in large format, complex 3D printing systems costing $200,000 or more. With the Formlabs Fuse 1 stereolithography printer, businesses can now solve industrial-scale tasks with SLS technology starting at $18,500. The complete kit, which includes the post-processing and powder recovery system, costs $31,845.

As with SLA printers, stereolithographic printers are shipped assembled and calibrated in the box. They are reliable and can operate 24/7. The package includes in-depth training and fast technical support. nine0003

SLS nylon print materials cost about US$100/kg. SLS does not require supporting structures and unused powder can be reused, reducing material costs.

SLS is the least labor-intensive plastic 3D printing process in the production environment, because the printed models are of high quality right away, and to remove excess powder, they simply need to be cleaned.

There are several processes for 3D printing not only plastics but also metals. nine0003

Metal FDM printers are similar in design to traditional FDM printers, but use extruded metal rods held together by a resin binder. The finished parts of the model are sintered in an oven to remove the binder.

SLM and DMLS printers are similar to SLS printers, but instead of polymer powders, they fuse metal powder particles layer by layer using a laser. SLM and DMLS-based 3D printers create strong, precise, and complex metal products, making the process ideal for the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries. nine0003

Prices for metal 3D printers have also begun to decline, ranging from $100,000 to $1 million today. However, these systems are still out of reach for most businesses.

SLA 3D printing is available as an alternative for casting workflows that allow metal models to be produced cheaper and faster than traditional methods and provide greater design freedom.

Technical report

Get design guides for 3D printing samples, see the step-by-step direct investment casting process, and study guides for indirect investment casting and sand casting.

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Different plastic and metal 3D printing processes have unique qualities that make them suitable for different applications. Below is a comparison of different printing technologies.

9032 Up to # 300 x 300 x 600 mm (Desktop and Workshop 3D printers)
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Stereolithography (SLA) Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Metal FDM Printing Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Metal Direct Metal Sintering (SLM) 9 (21LS9)5050DM9
Resolution ★cle ★☆ ★ opa ★ Look ★ opa ★cle ★cle ★ MyQAI
Surgery ★ opa ★ opa ☆ ★cle ☆ ★ opa
Simplicity of use ★ opa ★ Look ★cle ★ opa ★ ☆☆☆☆
PROMISE Up to ~300 x 335 x 200 mm (Desktop and Workshop 3D printers) Up to 165 x 165 x 300 mm (3D - workshop printers) Up to 300 x 200 x 200 mm Up to 400 x 400 x 400 mm
Price range DIY kits for 3D printers start at $200, while hobby printers cost $500-1500. Professional 3D FDM printers start at $2,500, while large format professional FDM printers are available from $4,000. Professional desktop printers start at $3,750, while high-volume large format desktop printers are available from $11,000. nine0533 Workshop industrial printers start at $18,500 and traditional industrial printers start at $100,000. Metal FDM printers start at $100,000, but complete solutions including an oven are much more expensive. DMLS/SLM solutions start at around $200,000. These printers require special infrastructure conditions, which can further increase costs.
Cost of materials US$50-150/kg for most standard and engineering yarns and US$100-200/kg for auxiliary materials. $50-150/L for most standard and engineering polymers. $100/kg for nylon. SLS does not require supporting structures and unused powder can be reused, reducing material costs. Depends on material and technology. Significantly higher than plastic. Depends on material and technology. Significantly higher than plastic. nine0533
Labor Manual removal of support structures (soluble support structures may be used in some cases). Long post-processing is required to obtain a high quality surface. Washing and final polymerization (both can be automated). Simple post-processing to remove supporting structures. Easy cleaning to remove excess powder. Washing and sintering (both can be automated). It is possible to use mechanical processing and other types of surface treatment. nine0533 Stress relief, support structure removal, heat treatment, and mechanical and other surface treatments.
Materials Standard thermoplastics such as ABS, PLA and their various blends. Various polymers (thermosetting plastics). Standard, engineering (similar to ABS and PP, similar to silicone, flexible, heat resistant, rigid), injection molding, dental and medical (biocompatible). nine0533 Engineering thermoplastics - typically nylon and its composites (nylon 12 biocompatible + sterilizable). Stainless steel, tool steel, inconel, copper, titanium. Stainless steel, tool steel, titanium, cobalt-chromium, copper, aluminium, nickel alloys.
Applications Basic experimental models, low cost rapid prototyping of simple parts. Prototypes with a high level of detail requiring close tolerances and smooth surfaces: molds, tooling, templates, medical models and functional parts. nine0533 Complex geometries, functional prototypes, low volume production or limited trial runs. Robust and durable models, tools and production aids. Strong and durable models with complex geometries; ideal for the aerospace, automotive and medical industries.

When calculating the cost of one model, the cost of ownership of equipment, material costs and labor costs are usually taken into account. It is important to understand the factors that affect each of these cost components, as well as the questions to ask in order to evaluate alternative production methods and uncover hidden costs. nine0003

Hardware ownership costs are fixed costs: 3D printer price, service contracts, installation and maintenance. These amounts must be paid whether your printer is idle or produces dozens of models per week.

Add up all projected fixed costs over the lifetime of the equipment, then divide by the number of models you plan to make. As a rule, the higher the performance and efficiency of your 3D printer, the lower the cost of ownership of equipment per model. nine0003

In recent years, desktop 3D printers have shown excellent results in reducing the cost of ownership of equipment. With a price 10 to 100 times lower than traditional industrial 3D printers and the ability to produce thousands of models over a lifetime, the cost of ownership can be negligible.

Questions:

  • Are there installation, training or additional initial costs other than the cost of the machine itself? nine0003

  • Do I need to sign a (mandatory) service contract? What does it include?

  • What accessories and tools are needed to make the final models?

  • What kind of maintenance is required for the machine to function properly? What is the expected annual maintenance cost? Will it change with an increase in production volumes?

The 3D printing raw materials and consumables you need to create models at an affordable price. These costs largely depend on the number of models you produce. nine0003

When calculating the cost of materials, determine how much material is required to create one model, and multiply this figure by the cost of the material. Count the amount of waste and any other consumables. As production grows, the cost of ownership of equipment decreases, and the cost of 3D printing materials tends to become more balanced.

Be sure to check what materials you need to create specific models, as the cost of 3D printing consumables can vary greatly. Please note that some 3D printers only work with their proprietary materials and thus limit your ability to use third party materials. nine0003

Questions:

  • What is the cost of each type of 3D printing material?

  • How much material is required to create one particular model, including waste?

  • What is the shelf life of the materials?

  • Do I need other consumables to create models?

  • Can the machine work with third-party materials?

While 3D printing can replace complex traditional manufacturing methods and provide significant time savings, depending on the 3D printing technology, it can still be quite labor intensive. nine0003

Professional desktop 3D printers are generally optimized for ease of use. DIY kits for 3D printers and hobby printers often require additional effort to adjust settings, while regular maintenance or material changes on traditional industrial machines can involve time-consuming tasks that require the assistance of a skilled operator.

Post-processing workflows vary depending on the 3D printing process, but in most cases involve cleaning models and removing support structures or excess material. However, there are solutions to automate some specific tasks. For example, Formlabs Form Wash and Form Cure simplify the wash and finish process for Formlabs SLA 3D printers, while Fuse Sift offers a turnkey post-processing and powder recovery system for the Fuse 1 SLS printer. nine0003

More complex processes such as SLA and SLS do not take long to achieve high quality models, while FDM models require lengthy manual post-processing to improve quality and remove layer lines.

Questions:

  • What is the whole model production workflow? What specific steps are required to set up printing, change materials, and post-process models?

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  • How long does it take to post-process one specific model?

  • Are there any tools or devices available to automate some of these tasks?

Outsource production orders to third-party service bureaus or labs when you use 3D printing only occasionally or to produce large models in non-standard materials. Typically, the bureau has several in-house 3D printing processes such as SLA, SLS, FDM, as well as metal 3D printers. They can also provide advice on a variety of materials and offer additional services such as design or improved finishes. nine0003

The main disadvantages of outsourcing are the high cost and duration of production. One of the main advantages of 3D printing is its speed compared to traditional production methods. But it is noticeably reduced if the delivery of the model produced by the involved organization takes several days or even weeks. And as demand and capacity grow, the costs of outsourcing are rising rapidly.

Desktop 3D printers are the perfect solution for fast model production. Depending on the number of parts needed and the volume of prints, the investment in a professional 3D printer can pay for itself in just a few months. nine0003

With desktop and workshop printers, you can pay for the capacity that matches your business needs and scale your production by adding more devices as demand grows, without the heavy investment of a large format 3D printer. Using multiple 3D printers also allows you to print models from different materials at the same time. But if there is a need for the production of large parts or the use of non-standard materials, service bureaus can come to the rescue. nine0003

Investment, material and labor costs are relatively easy to calculate. But what about indirect costs and hard-to-calculate factors that affect your business? Let's look at some of the main considerations when comparing a desktop 3D printer to outsourcing or other manufacturing methods.

Save time: What if you could get products to market a few months faster? Or reduce the delivery time of your products by a few days or weeks? 3D printing simplifies traditional prototyping and manufacturing workflows, helping you save time and stay ahead of the competition. nine0003

Best results: 3D printing allows you to create more iterations, overcome failures faster and produce better end products. Troubleshooting a design early on also helps avoid costly redesign and the use of additional tools.

Interaction: Having high-quality prototypes and models allows you to communicate more effectively with customers, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. Avoid misunderstandings and costly mistakes. nine0003

Intellectual Property Protection: Do you work with confidential information? Making your own models means you don't have to transfer intellectual property (IP) to third parties, reducing the risk of IP leakage or theft.

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