If you’re using 3D printing for prototypes, parti funzionali, o produzione di piccoli batch, understanding the cost per gram of 3D printing plastic is essential for budgeting. The cost isn’t fixed—it ranges from 0.01 RMB/gram for basic PLA A 5 RMB/gram for high-performance PEEK—shaped by material type, printing technology, and service choices. This guide breaks down core cost drivers, provides practical references, condivide suggerimenti per risparmiare sui costi, and answers common questions to help you make informed decisions.
1. Cost Per Gram of Common 3D Printing Plastics
Different plastics have distinct properties and price points, directly impacting the total cost of your 3D prints. Below is a detailed breakdown of the most widely used materials:
| Tipo di plastica | Costo al grammo (RMB/grammo) | Caratteristiche chiave | Applicazioni tipiche |
| Pla (Acido polilattico) | 0.01 ~ 0.05 | Eco-friendly, facile da stampare, basso restringimento | Hobby models, prototipi di base, progetti educativi |
| Addominali (Acrilonitrile-butadiene-stirene) | 0.03 ~ 0.10 | Alta resistenza, good temperature resistance (fino a 90 ° C.), Ma soggetto a deformarsi | Parti funzionali (PER ESEMPIO., custodie telefoniche, toy shells) |
| Petg (Glicole polietilene tereftalato) | 0.05 ~ 0.15 | Alta tenacia, Resistenza chimica, cibo-cibo | Medical accessories, Parti di contatto alimentare (PER ESEMPIO., contenitori di stoccaggio) |
| TPU (Poliuretano termoplastico) | 0.10 ~ 0.30 | High elasticity, resistente all'usura, flessibile | Parti morbide (PER ESEMPIO., insoles, impugnature telefoniche, robot grippers) |
| SBIRCIARE (POLYETER ETHETHETHE) | 1.0 ~ 5.0 | Ultra-high performance: resistente al calore (fino a 250 ° C.), resistente alla corrosione | Componenti industriali, parti aerospaziali, Impianti medici |
| Specialized Plastics | 0.5 ~ 20 | Includes conductive PLA, PLA rinforzato in fibra di carbonio, and flame-retardant ABS | Conductive sensors, high-strength structural parts, recinti elettronici |
Esempio: A 200g PLA prototype costs 2–10 RMB in material alone. The same-sized PEEK part costs 200–1,000 RMB—100–100x more—due to its industrial-grade performance.
2. 5 Core Factors That Impact the Total Cost Per Gram
The cost per gram of 3D printing plastic isn’t just about the material itself—it also depends on printing technology, lavoro, and other hidden expenses. Di seguito è riportata una ripartizione di ciascun fattore:
(1) Tecnologia di stampa
Different technologies have varying equipment and operational costs, which add to the per-gram price:
| Tipo di tecnologia | Additional Cost Per Gram (RMB/grammo) | Vantaggi chiave & Svantaggi | Meglio per |
| FDM (Modellazione di deposizione fusa) | 0.02 ~ 0.08 | Basso costo dell'attrezzatura, easy to maintain; but lower precision | PLA/ABS/PETG prints, progetti sensibili ai costi |
| SLS (Sintering laser selettivo) | 0.2 ~ 0.8 | Nessun supporto necessario, dettagli elevati; but expensive equipment | TPU/nylon prints, geometrie complesse |
| SLA/DLP (Light Curing) | 0.05 ~ 0.5 | Precisione ultra-alta, superfici lisce; but resin is costly | Parti ad alto dettaglio (PER ESEMPIO., gioielli, modelli dentali) |
Nota chiave: FDM is the most cost-effective for plastic prints—adding just 0.02–0.08 RMB/gram to the material cost—while SLS can double or triple the total per-gram cost.
(2) Brand & Quality of Materials
Material brand and quality significantly affect the price. Imported, high-quality materials often cost more than domestic, standard options:
- Domestic Materials: PLA from brands like eSUN or Creality costs 0.01–0.03 RMB/gram—affordable for most users.
- Imported Materials: Premium brands like ColorFabb (Paesi Bassi) or Taulman (U.S.A.) charge 0.03–0.08 RMB/gram for PLA—2–3x more—due to stricter quality control and consistent performance.
(3) Lavoro & Service Fees
If you outsource printing to a service provider (instead of using your own machine), labor and service fees can account for 50%+ of the total cost:
| Service Type | Additional Cost Per Gram (RMB/grammo) | What It Includes |
| Basic Service | 0.05 ~ 0.20 | 3D Printing + post-elaborazione di base (PER ESEMPIO., removing supports) |
| Premium Service | 0.2 ~ 1.0 | Custom programming + fine post-processing (PER ESEMPIO., levigatura, lucidare) + Ispezione di qualità |
Esempio: A 100g ABS part printed via basic service costs 0.08 (materiale) + 0.15 (servizio) = 0.23 RMB/grammo (totale 23 RMB). The same part via premium service costs 0.08 + 0.5 = 0.58 RMB/grammo (totale 58 RMB).
(4) Requisiti di post-elaborazione
Many plastic parts need post-processing to meet quality standards, and each step adds to the per-gram cost:
| Passaggio di post-elaborazione | Costo al grammo (RMB/grammo) | Scopo |
| Rimozione del supporto | 0.01 ~ 0.05 | Remove excess material from the print |
| Levigatura/lucidatura | 0.05 ~ 0.20 | Smooth surface roughness (PER ESEMPIO., from Ra 1.6μm to Ra 0.8μm) |
| Pittura/rivestimento | 0.1 ~ 0.5 | Aggiungi colore, protection, or a matte/glossy finish |
| Trattamento chimico | 0.2 ~ 1.0 | Per addominali: vapor smoothing to eliminate layer lines |
Esempio: A 150g ABS part needing sanding and painting costs 0.08 (materiale) + 0.1 (levigatura) + 0.3 (pittura) = 0.48 RMB/grammo (totale 72 RMB).
(5) Volume dell'ordine & Quantità di ordine minimo (Moq)
Service providers often offer discounts for large batches, while small orders may incur a “minimum fee” that inflates the per-gram cost:
| Volume dell'ordine | Discount vs. Piccoli lotti | Esempio: 100g ABS Part (Original Cost: 0.23 RMB/grammo) |
| Piccolo lotto (<100G) | 0% (May have MOQ fee) | 0.23 RMB/grammo + 50 RMB MOQ fee (totale 73 RMB for 100g) |
| Medium Batch (100g ~ 1kg) | 10 ~ 20% | 0.18 ~ 0.21 RMB/grammo (totale 18 ~ 21 RMB for 100g) |
| Grande lotto (>1kg) | 20 ~ 40% | 0.14 ~ 0.18 RMB/grammo (totale 14 ~ 18 RMB for 100g) |
3. Total Cost Per Gram: Scenario-Based Breakdown
To see how all these factors come together, below are three common printing scenarios—from low-cost hobbies to high-end industrial parts:
| Scenario | Tipo di plastica | Tecnologia | Total Cost Per Gram (RMB/grammo) | Esempio (300g Part Total Cost) |
| Low-Cost Hobby (Self-Printed) | Pla | FDM | 0.01 ~ 0.05 (materiale) + 0.02 ~ 0.08 (attrezzatura) = 0.03 ~ 0.13 | 9 ~ 39 RMB |
| Mid-Range Functional Part (Service Provider) | Petg | FDM | 0.05 ~ 0.15 (materiale) + 0.05 ~ 0.20 (servizio) + 0.05 ~ 0.20 (post-elaborazione) = 0.15 ~ 0.55 | 45 ~ 165 RMB |
| High-End Industrial Part | SBIRCIARE | SLS | 1.0 ~ 5.0 (materiale) + 0.2 ~ 0.8 (tecnologia) + 0.2 ~ 1.0 (post-elaborazione) = 1.4 ~ 6.8 | 420 ~ 2,040 RMB |
4. 4 Practical Tips to Reduce the Cost Per Gram
You don’t have to compromise on quality to save money. Try these strategies:
(1) Choose the Right Material for Your Needs
- Use PLA for non-functional prototypes instead of ABS or PETG—saves 30–80% on material costs.
- Reserve PEEK or specialized plastics only for parts that need their unique properties (PER ESEMPIO., heat resistance for industrial use).
(2) Print In-House for Small Batches
If you print regularly, investing in a basic FDM printer (1,000–5,000 RMB) eliminates service fees. Per esempio, a 1kg PLA roll printed in-house costs 10–50 RMB vs. 50–150 RMB from a service—saving 80% col tempo.
(3) Optimize Print Design to Cut Waste
- Reduce infill: Use 10–20% infill for decorative parts (contro. 50% per parti funzionali) to cut material use by 30–80%.
- Avoid unnecessary supports: Design self-supporting angles (≥45° for most plastics) to reduce post-processing time and material waste.
(4) Batch Print to Get Discounts
Group small orders into a single batch to qualify for service provider discounts. Per esempio, stampa 5 small PLA parts (total 300g) at once costs 0.03–0.13 RMB/gram vs. 0.03–0.13 + MOQ fees for individual prints.
Yigu Technology’s Perspective on 3D Printing Plastic Costs
Alla tecnologia Yigu, Crediamo matching material and technology to project needs is the key to cost-effective 3D printing. Many clients overspend by using high-cost materials (PER ESEMPIO., SBIRCIARE) for simple prototypes or outsourcing small prints that could be done in-house. Our team helps clients select the right plastic: for basic prototypes, we recommend PLA (0.01–0.05 RMB/gram) with FDM technology; per parti funzionali, Petg (0.05–0.15 RMB/gram) balances cost and performance. We also offer batch printing discounts (20–40% for >1kg orders) and optimize designs to reduce waste by 30–50%. Our goal is to help clients get high-quality 3D prints at the lowest possible cost per gram.
Domande frequenti
- Why is PEEK so much more expensive than PLA?
PEEK is an ultra-high-performance plastic designed for extreme conditions (PER ESEMPIO., Temperature elevate, corrosione). Its production process is complex and requires specialized raw materials, making it 200–500x more expensive than PLA. It’s only used for critical applications like aerospace or medical implants where cheaper plastics can’t meet performance needs.
- Can I use recycled 3D printing plastic to save money?
Yes—recycled PLA or ABS costs 0.005–0.03 RMB/gram (50–50% cheaper than new material) and works well for non-critical projects (PER ESEMPIO., draft prototypes). Tuttavia, recycled plastic may have inconsistent quality (PER ESEMPIO., varying diameter for filaments) that can cause print defects, so it’s not recommended for functional parts.
- How much does post-processing add to the total cost per gram?
Post-processing typically adds 0.01–1.0 RMB/gram, depending on the steps. Basic support removal adds just 0.01–0.05 RMB/gram, while complex steps like chemical treatment for ABS can add 0.2–1.0 RMB/gram. For most mid-range parts, post-processing accounts for 10–30% of the total cost per gram.