M3DP 3D Print Cost Calculator
If you’ve ever thought about selling your 3D prints, one of the first and biggest hurdles is figuring out how to price them accurately. Most people just look at the material and electricity costs, but that’s a quick way to lose money.
I recently read an article called “Refined Cost Calculation Framework for FDM Parts,” which breaks down the entire cost process into much greater detail. It factors in everything:
- Machine costs and energy
- Tooling costs (like nozzle wear and build sheet lifespan)
- Material and model costs
- Labor costs (for setup, slicing, and post-processing)
This model is far more accurate, but the one major problem is that with so many inputs, it’s incredibly hard to keep it all straight.
I started building a spreadsheet to manage this for myself, and… well, it turned into a full-blown web tool.
Introducing the M3DP 3D Print Cost Calculator
I’ve created a 3D Print Cost Calculator that’s now live on my website. You can find it under the “M3DP Tools” menu item.
This tool is designed to help you capture all those hidden costs and generate a detailed quote, which you can save for your own records or print as a PDF to send to a customer.
In it, you can dial in specific parameters for:
- Labor: Set your own hourly rate for slicing, machine setup, and post-processing.
- Machine: Input your machine’s cost and estimated lifespan in hours.
- Components: Add costs and lifespans for your nozzle and build plate (I found research suggesting a PEI sheet can last 5,000+ hours!).
- Failure Rate: Add a percentage to help cover the cost of failed prints.
- Markup: Add a final markup to the total calculated value.
One of the most important features: everything is saved 100% client-side. It all stays on your machine; nothing is saved to my server. You can even save and load different setting profiles.
Watch the Full Walkthrough
I put together a video walking through the entire calculator, using a real-world part as an example. I show you where to find the tool, how to pull the data from your slicer, and how to fill out every field.
Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nA_-z5UbBJY
I Need Your Feedback!
This tool is brand new, and I’m still testing it and adding features.
Please check it out, give it a try, and let me know what you think. If you see any errors, have suggestions for new features, or think of any costs that I’m not currently capturing, please let me know in the video comments or contact me through the site.
Hopefully, this helps you price your prints more accurately and professionally. I look forward to hearing what you think!
References
The methodology for this calculator was based on the concepts presented in the following research, which is also referenced within the tool itself:
- Primary Article: Refined Cost Calculation Framework for FDM Parts
- Component Research: The tool also incorporates research findings for the average lifespan of components like nozzles and build plates.