Metal 3D printing, as a representative of advanced manufacturing technology, is leading the trend of innovation in the manufacturing industry. With its unique advantages of directly manufacturing complex structures, reducing material waste, and improving production flexibility, it has demonstrated enormous application potential in multiple fields such as aerospace, healthcare, and automotive. However, when it comes to metal 3D printing, people are often most concerned about: "How much does metal 3D printing cost? In this article, we will explore the costs of various aspects of metal 3D printing models, including equipment depreciation, material powder, gas consumption, electricity consumption, labor, post-processing, and other costs, and introduce how to calculate their actual costs.

Factors affecting the cost of metal 3D printing

1. Material cost

The price of metal powder materials themselves is an important component of the cost, especially rare metals or high-performance alloys, whose cost is much higher than that of conventional metals.

Firstly, we need to determine the weight of the printed item, usually measured in grams, including the supporting materials. This can be automatically calculated through 3D printing slicing software, such as common 3D printing slicing software Cura, PrusaSlicer, and Simplify 3D. By determining the required model weight and the price per kilogram of material, the material cost can be quickly calculated.

Although material cost is a part of the expenses, it is usually the smallest item. The most important cost that is often overlooked is the labor cost involved, which often leads to the pricing of the model being much lower than the actual cost required.

2. Equipment depreciation and operating costs

High end metal 3D printing equipment is expensive, and currently the cost of additive manufacturing systems capable of producing metal parts ranges from approximately $200000 to over $1 million. In addition to high maintenance costs and energy consumption, these costs are evenly distributed among each printing component.

If calculated based on 80% of the annual operating time, the metal 3D printing system operates for approximately 7000 hours per year. For high-tech equipment, a two-year return on investment (ROI) is a reasonable average for cost calculation, which means that the operating cost per hour ranges from $37 to $90 depending on the value of the equipment.

3. Printing complexity and volume

The complexity and volume of parts directly affect printing time, material usage, and post-processing difficulty, which in turn affects overall costs.

If the printed parts are too complex, there is a risk of printing failure, and the printing time will be longer, which puts higher requirements on the stability of metal 3D printing machines and related software settings. If there is 1 failure in 10 printing attempts, do you think this failure rate is high? Printing failure will result in reprinting.

4. Labor cost

Although manufacturers claim that printing can be done with just one click when the machine is turned on, in reality, the process of converting the model from computer data to physical objects still requires a lot of work to be done by humans.

The personnel costs involved in the construction process include model data preparation, file preparation, machine preparation, construction monitoring, machine cleaning, and support removal. The labor cost usually accounts for about 10% -20% of the total cost. ‌

The time required for these tasks is the most expensive part of the production cost of metal 3D printing. For example, if the monthly salary of a worker is $1000, the hourly labor cost is approximately $6.

5. Printing time and quantity

The longer the printing time, the higher the material and labor costs; Batch production can share fixed costs and reduce unit costs.

The cost of metal 3D printing slightly decreases with an increase in the number of parts, as adding more parts to the printing bed reduces the average printing time for individual parts.

The most common statement is that, unlike traditional manufacturing, 3D printing does not generate economies of scale, and the cost remains unchanged regardless of whether one or 100 pieces are printed.

6. Design

Reduce material usage and improve printing efficiency through design optimization. One important purpose of metal 3D printing design is to reduce the amount of supporting materials used to construct parts. Supporting materials are used to secure parts to the construction platform and help support and maintain the hanging features of the parts. Most importantly, supporting materials can help dissipate heat from components and minimize thermal deformation to the greatest extent possible.

7 Consumable costs

 including consumables used for building components such as printing beds, argon gas, filters, printing heads, etc

8. Post processing

Metal printed parts usually require post-processing steps such as support, heat treatment, and mechanical processing, and the cost of these steps cannot be ignored.

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The cost of metal 3D printing is not static, but dynamically changes with the advancement of technology, the improvement of economies of scale, and the development of materials science. Although the current cost of metal 3D printing is relatively high, especially in high-precision fields, its revolutionary advantages of design freedom, performance improvement, and production flexibility make it irreplaceable in specific applications. With the continuous maturity of technology and further expansion of the market, the cost-effectiveness of metal 3D printing will continue to be optimized, promoting its popularization and application in a wider range of fields.

9. Maintenance cost

Metal 3D printers are also machines and may require maintenance. Common repairs include replacing nozzles or release films, repairing limit switches or thermostats, etc. In addition, regular replacement of components may also be necessary. If there are no serious malfunctions, this part of the cost usually accounts for about 2% -3% of the total value of the equipment.

Finally, we need to calculate the electricity bill based on the machine power and printing time. If there is no electrical measuring device, the rated power of the machine can be used as a reference.

Application and Price Case of Metal 3D Printing

1. Aerospace

In the aerospace industry, manufacturing lightweight, high-strength complex components such as engine parts, structural components, etc. The cost of a single item may reach tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the materials and complexity.

2. Medical devices

Personalized medical devices, such as implants and surgical tools, benefit from the customization capabilities of 3D printing. The printing cost of such applications may range from several thousand to several hundred thousand dollars, depending on the material and degree of customization.

3. Automobile manufacturing

Lightweight components used for racing or high-end car models, such as turbocharger components and engine parts. The cost is relatively low, possibly between thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, but still higher than traditional manufacturing methods.

China's Affordable Metal 3D Printing Service Provider

Our Xiaojiao Technology can meet the printing needs of metal parts with different metal materials and various application scenarios, and solve the manufacturing needs of free-form and complex feature components. It can meet user needs in terms of cost, appearance, details, mechanical properties, mechanical performance, chemical stability, and special application environments.