We all know that a 3D printer is somewhat expensive, although lately the cost of these has dropped a lot, so many people are launching to try one of these devices. However, have you ever wondered, how much is the material 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 carry them out.
How much does a 3D print cost?
The price of this will vary depending on the material but especially the size. The first thing you have to do when choosing a 3D printer is to see what dimensions you plan to print the objects with.
Once you have chosen your equipment and your designs, all that remains is to buy the material and get down to work. But, how much are you going to spend on that cute little figurine?
Well, we can give an example of a printer and a standard material like the one we leave you here. 1kg roll and €24.
In this case, the model that we generate on the screen is a very simple piece that tells us that it will have 22g (2.81m of roll) and will last 37 minutes to make.
Therefore the account is very simple. If a roll of 1KG of decent quality costs us €24. Well, 22 grams would be equivalent to 52 cents. To this should be added the cost of electricity, since 37 minutes in operation have 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 be equivalent 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 material and around 50 cents on electricity. therefore do a standard piece could cost us almost €10.
Therefore, it depends a lot on what you want its utility 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.
It is more profitable to buy them directly on websites that make you what you want, although hey, it is also an option. If you end up liking these machines, you can be the one to do this work for family, friends or even online and get a profit from your 3D printer.
Of course, always take into account the cost of light and material before starting to build it. Programs like Ultimaker Cura tell you before starting 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 have to put on it to make a profit. Consider that the printer has also cost you a lot of money.
