3D Printing price Background

How much does 3D printing cost? What is the difference between the type of material? How do I know which technology is right for me? And is it even worth buying a printer instead of using printing services?
We will touch on all of these points in this article and expand on 3D printing, the market price for each technology, and how to characterize needs.
You can see in Joseph Prusa’s article in general how to calculate printing costs at the link here…

3D printing using FDM technology

As you can see in the picture, there is a plastic filament feeding while there is a heating element at the head of the printer, and like a hot blood gun, the printer builds the product layer by layer.

This printing fleet is the most available, the cheapest of all and less accurate than the other technologies, weak in the direction of the layers and therefore less durable.
Of course, there is a wide variety of materials:
PLA is the most common – the results will look better this way. The material is starch-based and therefore not resistant to outdoor conditions.
PETG – a material that is resistant to up to about 80 degrees, stronger and less brittle than PLA.
it is a little more difficult to disassemble supports, PETG is number 2 in the printing requirements.
ASA – less common but slightly stronger and less brittle than PETG and resistant to up to 100 degrees.
TPU – 95A flexible material used for drone shields, camera shields, seals, and more.

Regarding the 3D printing price of FDM printing, in recent years there have been printers that are 5 times faster, with the first of these in 2022 being Bambulab, and the rest have pretty much caught up.
In FDM 3D printing, the price is relatively low. The price per hour of such printing is about 50 NIS per hour of printing (on a fast printer for small quantities), between 600 and 1500 NIS per kilogram in very large quantities.
PLA – The lower threshold is provided that there are not many small products involved.
ASA, PETG-CF, PA-CF – at the high end of 3D printing prices

3D printing using MSLA/liquid technology

As you can see in the picture, there is a bath filled with liquid and UV radiation with a screen that builds the shape (opens and closes the UV) for each layer separately. That is, it hardens the ascending layer, detaches from the descending Teflon membrane, leaving a gap of 50 microns, then hardens the layer and repeats the process over and over again until the product is finished.

This printing technique is common in fields that require high precision such as: jewelry, dentistry, figures with a lot of detail, etc.
Most materials are fragile like glass, but there are also completely functional materials, only their price will be much higher. If FDA or CE Class II approvals are required, such as a permanent dental crown, the price is much higher.
At MSLA, 3D printing is relatively expensive but very accurate and has high visibility.
The process is less simple than FDM printing, requiring additional processes such as: cleaning with alcohol, drying under pressure, and final UV polymerization, which is why their price is higher.

In this technology, the printing time is determined by Z height (only) because it hardens the entire layer from top to bottom, so that producing 1 or 10 products (provided they fit in the pallet) takes exactly the same time.
The 3D printing price with liquid vary greatly from product to product, and the ranges are quite large.
The price ranges are in the range of 2000-10000 NIS per liter.
For a more in-depth explanation, you can read the following article…

3D printing using SLS technology

SLS printing is industrial and mostly done with nylon 12. In the first stage, the chamber heats up and the powder is heated. The powder is spread in a thin layer and the heating makes it easier for the laser to raise specific areas. After that, a thin layer of additional powder is added and the process is repeated until the product is finished.

After processing and cleaning the powder residue, the part can be painted because nylon does absorb moisture. You can also perform a type of sealing so that the material cannot absorb moisture.
All but are called additional endings.
In SLS 3D printing, the price is slightly lower than MSLA but much higher than FDM.
The 3D printing price ranges per kilogram are approximately 1000-3500 NIS per kilogram (Nylon 12 at the lower end between 1000-2000 and TPU or Alumide at the higher end).
For a more in-depth explanation, you can read the following article.

When should you buy a 3D printer?

Let’s start with a few questions, the first one if possible.
Is the printing done at home? In a separate workroom or not? Is there ventilation in the room?
If all the answers are yes, it is definitely possible and easy, at least for FDM and MSLA (as for SLS, it is for industry only and not for the office).
For 3D printing to be profitable, the price of the printer needs to be low. Therefore, FDM printers are generally more relevant because they are easier to operate and require fewer associated processes.

To upload a file for printing + advice is provided on this page…