SANSIL 3D
Material laid down
Not the volume of the part, but the volume actually extruded: the solid walls, plus the internal infill at the chosen rate. A part hollowed to 20% uses roughly a third of what it would use solid.
What does 3D printing actually cost?
The question comes up on every quotation, and the answers you find online contradict each other. Here is the exact method we apply, with real figures rather than ranges.
Why nobody quotes you a price per kilo
Because a price per kilo means nothing. Two parts of the same weight can take two hours or eight hours of machine time depending on their height, their infill and the number of overhangs. Weight says nothing about time, and time is half the cost.
A 3D printing quote is made of four things: the material actually laid down, the machine time, the file preparation, and the quantity ordered. The first three depend on your part. The fourth is the only one entirely in your hands.
The four components of a price
Machine time
It depends on the layer height and the total height of the part. A 0.1 mm layer needs twice as many passes as a 0.2 mm layer, for the same volume.
Preparation
Orientation, supports, printability check, support removal after printing. It is a flat €3.50 per order, not per piece — which is why ten pieces never cost ten times one piece.
Quantity
Above ten pieces a sliding coefficient applies. It falls to 0.70 from a thousand pieces upwards.
One test part, six materials
Same geometry, 60 × 40 × 25 mm, 20% infill, 0.2 mm layers. Only the material changes.
| Material | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | 27 g | 6.37 € |
| PETG | 27 g | 7.11 € |
| ABS | 22 g | 7.88 € |
| ASA | 23 g | 8.29 € |
| PC | 26 g | 12.66 € |
| PA6-CF | 25 g | 13.34 € |
ABS weighs less than PETG because it is less dense — and still costs more. Running it demands a heated chamber, drying beforehand, and it fails more often. The price reflects the workshop time involved, not just the plastic consumed.
Infill
| Infill | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 10 % | 21 g | 5.83 € |
| 20 % | 27 g | 6.37 € |
| 50 % | 44 g | 8.01 € |
| 100 % | 74 g | 10.74 € |
Layer height
| Layer height | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mm | 69 min | 7.21 € |
| 0.2 mm | 38 min | 6.37 € |
| 0.3 mm | 28 min | 6.09 € |
Size
| Dimensions | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 30 × 20 × 10 mm | 4 g | 4.19 € |
| 60 × 40 × 25 mm | 27 g | 6.37 € |
| 120 × 80 × 50 mm | 166 g | 19.29 € |
| 200 × 140 × 80 mm | 687 g | 67.1 € |
Quantity
| Quantity | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.1 € | 6 € |
| 10 | 1.97 € | 23 € |
| 50 | 1.85 € | 96 € |
| 100 | 1.72 € | 176 € |
| 250 | 1.64 € | 413 € |
| 1000 | 1.47 € | 1473 € |
See the price of your own part Drop your STL or OBJ file: the weight, the print time and the price appear immediately. The file is analysed in your browser and goes nowhere until you decide.
Open the instant quote