In-house 3D printing
is one of the most cost effective production methods
for prototypes, one-offs, and custom parts.
3D printers don't require
expensive tooling or lengthy setup,
so they can produce parts up to 80 to 95% cheaper
than traditional tools, like machining or outsourcing
to service providers.
But when comparing the cost of different 3D printers
and to accurately calculate the cost per part,
there's more to consider than just sticker prices.
Variables like the cost of equipment ownership, materials,
and labor, which can drastically change
depending on the throughput and your specific needs,
are important factors to think about
before deciding on which solution is right for you.
In this video, we compare the costs
for three of the most common 3D printing technologies
for plastics, FDM, SLA, and SLS.
Fixed costs, such as the cost of the 3D printer,
service contracts, installation, and maintenance,
make up the equipment ownership cost.
These are the costs you need to pay
regardless of whether your printer stands idle
or produces dozens of parts a week.
Calculate a rough per part attribution for these costs
by adding up all of the forecasted fixed costs
over the lifetime of the machine, and then divide it
by the number of parts that it is expected to produce.
Equipment ownership cost can become almost negligible
when you divide it among the thousands of parts
a machine can produce over its lifetime.
Generally, FDM 3D printers offer
the lowest entry cost to 3D printing.
SLA 3D printers offer higher accuracy
and a much smoother surface finish at the lowest cost
but generally carry a marginally higher price tag.
SLS 3D printing has only recently become available
in smaller, more affordable bench top solutions
but it's still priced considerably higher
than both FDM or SLA.
Raw materials and other consumables required to create parts
are variable costs that are highly dependent
on the number of parts you're producing.
When calculating material costs,
measure the amount of material that's required
to create a single part and multiply it
by the cost of the material.
Also, make sure to include support structures, waste,
and any other consumables necessary to produce the parts.
On average FDM materials usually cost the least
but a higher need for support structures
and discreet support materials that are required
for more complex parts,
can substantially increase material costs.
SLA materials usually carry
a slightly more premium price tag.
SLS material costs are in between FDM and SLA,
but because SLS 3D printing requires no support structures,
an unfused powder can be reused.
Material cost can be significantly lowered.
Labor often gets overlooked,
even though it can have a substantial impact on part cost,
especially at higher print volumes.
While desktop 3D printers generally require less labor
than traditional manufacturing methods,
the workflow for setting up and maintaining the printers,
along with post-processing the parts,
can still be fairly labor intensive.
In most cases,
setting up and maintaining FDM printers is fairly easy.
Post-processing parts can be fast too,
but only for simple parts and rough prototypes.
Complex parts require support structures
that either break away or need to be dissolved in water
or using chemicals
Achieving a better surface quality
often requires lengthy manual sanding and finishing.
When it comes to set up and maintenance,
SLA printers are even easier and faster than FDM.
Post-processing for SLA includes washing parts in a solvent,
and depending on the material, also posturing the parts.
However, these steps can be automated
to minimize time and labor.
Thanks to light touch supports, support removal is quick
and parts have a high surface quality
right out of the printer.
SLS 3D printers require more setup time
for the powder material
and considerably more maintenance between prints,
but that's normally divided among many parts
in a single build.
Because of this post-processing SLS parts
can be the least labor intensive of the three processes.
When processing a full batch of parts,
parts just need to be removed from the powder
that surrounds them and cleaned of the excess material.
To sum up, FDM will get you the cheapest parts
if you're printing only relatively simple prototypes
in limited numbers.
SLA offers higher quality at a slight premium,
but the difference quickly diminishes
when you print complex designs or larger batches,
due to the less labor intensive post processing.
Lastly, SLS is the most cost effective process
for producing medium to large volumes
of high quality functional parts.
However, cost will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Make sure to ask the right questions
before making a purchase.