What does a 3D print actually cost? The real numbers

Almost everyone assumes a printed part costs whatever the plastic weighs. It is the most expensive wrong intuition in the industry, and it leads to parts that cost twice what they should.

Take a real part: a 100 × 60 × 40 mm block, 240 cm³ in volume, in black PLA at 20% infill and 0.20 mm layers. It comes to €21.30 excluding VAT. Here is where that money goes.

The material: €2.08

That part eats about 94 grams of filament. At spool cost that is a little over two euros. Even if the filament were free, the part would still cost €19.

Machine time: €9.89

Four hours and seven minutes of printer time. That hourly rate covers the machine’s depreciation, electricity, the nozzles and belts that wear out, and the fact that somebody has to keep an eye on it. It is by far the dominant item.

Set-up: €2.00

A flat charge per distinct file. It covers checking the mesh, orienting it, slicing it and getting the part off the plate. It is per file, not per unit — which is why five copies of one model works out far better per part than five different models.

What does NOT change the price

• Colour, except for special finishes like silk or clear, which cost us more per kilo.
• Whether the material has to be ordered in. If it is not on the shelf we start later, but you are not charged for our trip to the supplier.
• Geometric complexity by itself. A twisted, detailed part costs the same as a cube of the same volume, if it takes the same time.

That last point surprises people coming from machining, where every awkward corner is another operation. In 3D printing complexity is free; volume and hours are what you pay for.

The minimum order

There is a €15 minimum because a three-euro part costs more in attention, checking and packing than it bills. If your order falls short, the configurator tells you how many more units the same money would buy, instead of just rounding up.