How to Calculate the Unit Price of 3D Printing? Una guida completa

Whether you’re a hobbyist making small prototypes or a business sourcing industrial parts, knowing how to calculate the unit price of 3D printing is essential to avoid overspending. The unit price isn’t a fixed number—it depends on materials, printing time, tecnologia, e altro. Questa guida rompe il 5 most common calculation methods, Fattori di influenza chiave, and practical tips to help you get accurate, cost-effective quotes.

1. 5 Common Methods to Calculate the Unit Price of 3D Printing

Different 3D printing service providers use different pricing models. Below are the most widely used methods, each with clear formulas, esempi, and best-use scenarios:

Metodo 1: Material Weight-Based Calculation (Most Popular for Hobbyists)

This method focuses on the weight of the 3D-printed part and the cost of the raw material, plus a profit margin.

Formula: Unit Price = (Part Weight × Material Unit Price) × Profit Margin

Esempio:

• Peso parziale: 100 grammi
• Materiale: Pla (0.3 RMB/grammo)
• Profit margin: 2X

Unit Price = (100 × 0.3) × 2 = 30 × 2 = 60 RMB

Metodo 2: Printing Time-Based Calculation (Common for Industrial Use)

This method charges based on how long the printer runs, combining equipment depreciation, energia, and labor costs into an hourly rate.

Formula: Unit Price = Printing Time (Ore) × Hourly Rate (RMB/Hour)

Hourly rates vary drastically by printer type:

Esempio:

• Printing time: 3 ore
• Printer type: High-precision curing printer (80 RMB/ora)

Unit Price = 3 × 80 = 240 RMB

Metodo 3: Model Volume-Based Calculation (Useful for Resin/Metal Parts)

Some providers charge by the part’s volume (cubic centimeters, cm³), as volume better reflects material usage for complex shapes.

Formula: Unit Price = Model Volume (cm³) × Rate per cm³ (RMB/cm³)

Rates per cm³ depend on material:

Esempio:

• Model volume: 80 cm³
• Materiale: Resina (1 RMB/cm³)

Unit Price = 80 × 1 = 80 RMB

Metodo 4: Service Type-Based Calculation (Flexible for Custom Needs)

This method splits costs into separate services: stampa, post-elaborazione, e design. You only pay for what you need.

Esempio:

• Print service: 50 RMB (via weight method)
• Post-elaborazione: Levigatura (30 RMB) + Pittura (80 RMB)
• No design service needed

Total Unit Price = 50 + 30 + 80 = 160 RMB

Metodo 5: Batch-Based Calculation (Best for Large Orders)

The more parts you order, the lower the unit price—since fixed costs (PER ESEMPIO., Impostazione della stampante) are spread across more units.

Formula: Unit Price (Lotto) = (Single Unit Price × Batch Quantity × Discount Rate) ÷ Quantità lotto

Esempio:

• Single unit price (1–10 parti): 100 RMB
• Batch quantity: 20 parti
• Discount rate: 80% (comune per 11+ parti)

Total Batch Price = 100 × 20 × 0.8 = 1,600 RMB

Unit Price (Lotto) = 1,600 ÷ 20 = 80 RMB

2. 6 Key Factors That Affect the Unit Price of 3D Printing

Even with the right calculation method, the unit price can change based on these critical factors. Understanding them helps you optimize costs:

(1) Costo materiale (Biggest Price Driver)

Material is the single most influential factor—cheap materials like PLA keep prices low, while metals and special resins drive costs up.

(2) Model Complexity

Complex models take longer to print and need more post-processing, raising the unit price:

• Modelli semplici (PER ESEMPIO., solid blocks): Nessun supporto, short print time → Lower price (20 ~ 100 RMB).
• Complex models (PER ESEMPIO., hollow structures with thin walls <2mm): More supports, longer print time → Higher price (100 ~ 500 RMB).

(3) 3Tecnologia di stampa d

Different technologies have varying equipment and maintenance costs:

• FDM (Modellazione di deposizione fusa): Cheapest (20 ~ 50 RMB/ora) → Best for PLA/ABS parts.
• SLA/DLP (Light Curing): Di fascia media (50 ~ 150 RMB/ora) → Best for high-detail resin parts.
• SLM/EBM (Stampa 3D in metallo): Most expensive (200 ~ 500 RMB/ora) → Best for industrial metal parts.

(4) Requisiti di post-elaborazione

Basic post-processing (PER ESEMPIO., simple sanding) adds little cost, but complex steps can double the unit price:

(5) Precisione & Qualità della superficie

Maggiore precisione (PER ESEMPIO., ± 0,01 mm tolleranza) or smoother surfaces (PER ESEMPIO., mirror effects) require slower printing and more quality checks:

• Bassa precisione (± 0,5 mm): Nessun costo aggiuntivo.
• Medium precision (±0.1 ~ 0.3mm): Adds 10 ~ 30% to unit price.
• Alta precisione (±0.01 ~ 0.05mm): Adds 30 ~ 60% to unit price.

(6) Service Provider Type

Small studios and large industrial providers have different pricing:

• Hobbyist studios: Lower prices (20 ~ 200 RMB/part) → Good for simple projects.
• Industrial service providers: Higher prices (100 ~ 5,000 RMB/part) → Better for high-quality, bulk orders (with volume discounts).

3. Reference Range of 3D Printing Unit Prices

To help you gauge if a quote is reasonable, here’s a breakdown of typical unit prices by material and technology:

4. 5 Practical Tips to Reduce the Unit Price of 3D Printing

You don’t have to sacrifice quality to cut costs. Try these strategies:

1. Optimize model design: Remove unnecessary supports (PER ESEMPIO., use self-supporting angles) and simplify geometry to reduce print time by 10 ~ 25%.
2. Choose the right material: Use PLA instead of ABS for non-functional parts, or resin instead of metal for small, detailed items—saving 50 ~ 80% sui costi materiali.
3. Ordina in blocco: Ask for volume discounts (PER ESEMPIO., 80% fuori per 10+ parti) to lower unit prices by 20 ~ 40%.
4. Do self-post-processing: Handle simple steps like sanding or cleaning yourself instead of paying the service provider—saving 10 ~ 50 RMB/part.
5. Pick economical technology: Use FDM instead of SLA for large, low-detail parts—hourly rates for FDM are 30 ~ 60% lower than SLA.

Yigu Technology’s Perspective on 3D Printing Unit Price

Alla tecnologia Yigu, Crediamo transparency and customization are key to fair 3D printing pricing. Many clients overpay because they use the wrong calculation method (PER ESEMPIO., time-based for simple PLA parts) or don’t optimize their models. Our team helps clients choose the right method—for example, weight-based for hobby projects and time-based for industrial metal parts—and optimizes designs to cut support use by 20 ~ 30%. We also offer flexible volume discounts: Anche 10+ parts get 20% off, E 100+ parts get 40% off. By breaking down quotes into material, tempo, and post-processing costs, we ensure clients know exactly where their money goes—making 3D printing accessible and cost-effective for all needs.

Domande frequenti

1. Which calculation method is best for small hobby projects (PER ESEMPIO., PLA toys)?

For small hobby projects, IL material weight-based method è il migliore. It’s simple to calculate (just need part weight and material price) and most hobbyist studios use it. For a 50-gram PLA toy, the unit price would be around 30 ~ 60 RMB—affordable and easy to verify.

2. Why does titanium alloy 3D printing have such a high unit price (500 ~ 5,000 RMB/part)?

Titanium alloy is expensive (50 ~ 100 RMB/grammo) and requires industrial-grade SLM/EBM printers (200 ~ 500 RMB/ora). It also needs complex post-processing (PER ESEMPIO., Trattamento termico) to meet strength standards. All these factors combine to push the unit price much higher than PLA or resin parts.

3. Can I negotiate the unit price with a 3D printing service provider?

Yes—especially for bulk orders or simple parts. If you order 50+ parti, ask for a 20 ~ 30% sconto. For simple designs, you can also negotiate to lower the profit margin (PER ESEMPIO., from 3x to 2x) or skip unnecessary post-processing steps to cut costs by 10 ~ 25%.