Cost of 3D Printing Projects

Customers often compare the cost of printing to Injection molding, and find that 3D printing often costs more per unit. Here’s how and why that happens:.

  • Injection Molding:

    • Very High initial cost due to labor-intensive mold creation, even with modern machining techniques (such as CNC).

    • Low cost per item when producing large quantities, as each item is made quickly.

    • Small quantities may be uneconomical due to set up costs.

  • 3D Printing:

    • An initial cost if an electronic model needs to be created. The modeling cost is generally much smaller than for Injection Moulding.

    • The printer can produce one or multiple copies, and production cost for each unit scales by quantity and size of the model.

    • Creating an electronic model takes less time than making a mold.

Cost Efficiency:

  • Injection molding has a lower cost per unit for large batches.

  • 3D printing is competitive for prototyping or small quantities and has shorter overall production times. It is economical for single-unit production, unlike injection molding. These factors also lend themselves to the development stages of a product, with the short turn-around aiding the design and testing process.

Factors Influencing 3D Printing Costs

Modelling:

  • This is discussed elsewhere, but in general modeling is largely a labour cost, with the time spent manipulating software such as Autodesk Fusion to create a model or adjust an existing model.

  • The customer has it within their power to reduce the cost of modelling by preparation of information informing the design requirements, shape and dimensions, which may include a drawing, or an existing model. The more information that’s provided, the better the productivity, with fewer iterations required. Even a simple sketch can go a long way to improving the communication between the customer and the modeller.

  • The use of a scanner may be appropriate where the design is of a nature that does not easily lend itself to manipulation using CAD tools.

  • The actual modelling charge reflects a low hourly rate, and this also includes the cost of the modelling software annual license fee.

Material and Time:

  • Costs vary by material weight consumed (including supports, if needed) and printing time.

  • Overhead costs such as energy, rent, maintenance, advertising are factored into the prices.

  • We generally use the best available materials sourced in New Zealand or overseas. We back up the material selection with careful testing of the material on our printers.

  • Material prices range from 5 to 50 cents per gram.

  • For a 50-gram model, material costs range from $2.50 to $25 (for example).

  • Printing time, which greatly impacts cost, typically varies from 1 to 24 hours for small models depending on physical size and design complexity, particularly if supports are required. Note that size affects costs by a cubic factor as it primarily reflects geometric volume.

  • The use of support material increases the amount of material used, and the time taken to print. It may also negatively affect the printing quality. The need for supports is dictated by the design of the model.
    We try to minimise supports, so far as possible.

  • A Management charge may be added to cover the labour time used to: prepare a model for printing, supervision, post-processing and shipping.

Getting a Quote

Customized Quotes:

  • Each project has a different price. We provide fixed price quotes based on an existing model or a sketch/drawing. The key determinate is the complexity of the design and its size. When factors might change, prior to printing, we provide an estimate (not fixed price) instead.

  • Contact us via the form Here to get started.

Electronic Model Requirement:

  • The absolute cheapest way of making an 3d printed model is from an existing electronic model.

  • The next cheapest way of making an electronic model is from source material such as an engineering (blueprint) drawing.

  • Modeling converts a real-world object or drawing into an electronic file for 3D printing. Scanning, Photogrammetry and direct geometric measurements might be techniques used in such work. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based modeling is a recent innovation that promises to reduce modeling costs.

  • An electronic model file (".stl" or “.step”) is required to begin a 3D print. You could supply this from your own source, if available. It is the cheapest way.

  • If unavailable, modeling is necessary to create one, and will cost more.

Modeling

Set Prices for Modeling:

  • We have a fixed hourly rate for modeling. When we create a custom quote, the assessed charge is an estimate of the time it will take based on assessed complexity.

  • Send a photo, drawing, or sketch for an estimate. We provide a quote for the 3D printing stage after modeling is complete.

Printing Element Costs:

Costs depend on time and materials, varying with the model size and design. The larger the model, the more it costs to print, and scaling varies by volume (ie a cubic function). A 150 mm model will cost 9 times more than a 50 mm model of the same shape.

Supports:

  • The need for supports depends somewhat on the design of the model. Supports are needed if the model overhangs or exceeds a 40-degree angle from vertical (even by a small amount).

  • We try to avoid using supports due its the effect on costs.

  • Surface quality of the model may degrade when supports are needed. But, when the model was not designed for 3D printing, supports are inevitably required.

  • We vary the print orientation to reduce the need for supports as much as possible, but in some cases, it’s just not possible to completely avoid the need. If the supports are really an issue, then the first step to avoiding them is the task of the person making the original design.