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The material costs for 3D printing are really small. A 1kg spool of PLA is in the order of 20-30 USD, and most 3D prints have only a small amount of infill, so
by jfim 4y ago
The material costs for 3D printing are really small. A 1kg spool of PLA is in the order of 20-30 USD, and most 3D prints have only a small amount of infill, so they're surprisingly light for their volume.
For example, I designed a set of sprockets to drive my blinds, and the total weight of the sprockets to drive 3 sets of blinds is less than 15 grams of plastic. This goose-shaped figurine is about 35g of plastic: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3906053 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3906053
- Arainach 4y agoThe labor costs aren't, however. I've helped maintain various maker spaces. Most 3D printers were nightmares that were constantly breaking down. The most reliable we've found have been the Prusas, and even they require regular work. We have 4 at the moment, and at any given time at least 1 is usually down for some reason or other.