We all know that a 3D printer is a bit expensive, although lately the cost of these has come down a lot, so many people are jumping in to try one of these devices. However, have you ever wondered how much the material is worth to print an object?
Today we are going to see the price of the different types of 3D models that we can make with our printer and the cost that it would cost us to make them.
How much does 3D printing cost?
The price of it will vary depending on the material but especially the size. The first thing you need to do when choosing a 3D printer is to see what dimensions you plan to print the objects with.
Once you’ve chosen your materials and designs, all that’s left to do is buy the materials and get to work. But, how much are you going to spend on this cute little figurine?
Well, we can give an example of a standard printer and hardware like the one we leave you here. Roll of 1kg and 24$.
In this case, the model we generate on screen is a very simple piece that tells us that it will be 22g (2.81m roll) and will take 37 minutes to manufacture.
The account is therefore very simple. If a roll of 1KG of good quality costs us 24$. Well, 22 grams would equal 52 cents. To this must be added the cost of electricity, since 37 minutes of operation has a low but significant price. The consumption of a standard (non-professional) 3D printer can be around 300W/350W, so a duration of more than half an hour could equate to about 5 cents. In other words, an object like the one in the photograph would cost us less than 60 cents.
However, if we want to make a curious object of about 300 grams (something decent and not a piece of a few millimeters), its value would already be different. We would spend around $8 on equipment and around 50 cents on electricity. so do a standard piece could cost us close to $10.
Therefore, a lot depends on what you want its usefulness to be, it can be profitable or not. If you need it to build small parts it is a very good investment, if, on the contrary, it is simply for fun and pure leisure, it must be said that it is an expensive vice today today.
It is more profitable to buy them directly from websites that do what you want, even if good, that is also an option. If you end up loving these machines, you can be the one to do this job for family, friends or even online and make a profit from your 3D printer.
Of course, always consider the cost of light and materials before you start building it. Programs like Ultimaker Cura tell you before you start what the value of it would be and therefore see if you are interested or not, and especially if it is to sell, what price you must put on it to make a profit. Consider that the printer also cost you a lot of money.
