How much does 3D printing services cost?

With the increasing demand for 3D printing in the market, many 3D printing service providers have emerged around the world, and the price standards of 3D printing in the market are different.

What’s the advantage of 3D printing?

Reduced cost and time. This transformation brought about by 3D printing has had a huge impact on the manufacturing process and product form. With 3D printing technology, it is no longer necessary to design or manufacture expensive molds to manufacture products. The designer’s creativity can be realized directly through the 3D printer, which greatly reduces the cost and time.

Increase life of using and improve performance. 3D printing technology not only improves efficiency, can also be used to optimize the structure of complex parts, resulting in reduced weight, increased service life, and improved performance.

Some places have high prices and some places have low prices, but many trading companies are intermediaries. Earn the difference, so the price will be high. So how to calculate the price of 3D printing? The price of 3D printing is determined according to the size of the model you print and the consumables. It is generally divided into calculation by quantity and charging by gram. Of course, what cannot be ignored is the cost of operating the factory.Modo Rapid as a 3d printing service supplier in Shenzhen China, we only provide you with the most realistic factory price. The following is the material price we sorted out that affects the quotation of 3D printing products.

3D printing material price

1. Ordinary resin material (photosensitive resin) price

Print price: $0.133/gram

The maximum printing size is 1700*800*600MM. The production cycle depends on the structure and size of the sample. The specific production time should be obtained after the drawing is on the machine. Of course, there are also Modo Rapid self-operated factories, the price is lower, as low as 0.6 yuan / gram, of course, the general quotation is based on the picture, after all, the structure of each product is different in all aspects.

2. Nylon material (PA)

Printing price: around $0.33/gram

Nylon is polyamide, English name Polyamide, is a general term for thermoplastic resins containing repeating amide groups on the main chain of the molecule, including aliphatic PA, aliphatic aromatic PA and aromatic PA, aliphatic PA has many varieties, large output and wide application , and its nomenclature is determined by the specific number of carbon atoms in the synthetic monomer.

3. Aluminum

Print price: $2.5/gram

The price is generally around 12 yuan, and the others are the same as above. It has excellent physical, chemical and mechanical properties and has been widely used in many fields, but the characteristics of aluminum alloy itself (such as easy oxidation, high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, etc.) increase Due to the difficulty of selective laser melting manufacturing, STP and STL files are required.

4. 3D printing with red wax material: ABS-like orange plastic material

Print price: $1/gram

The model is suitable for direct production of rapid casting. The material has the advantages of high precision and high expressiveness. The model printed with this material has fine pattern and smooth surface quality. It is widely used in jewelry, micro medical equipment, gears, electrical components, Small figurines, replicas, collectibles, mechanical parts and other areas of precision investment casting.

Appearance effect: The surface of the finished product is smooth, and various colors can be applied later.

5. Black resin material

Print price: $1/gram

Black resin material, an extremely tough and high temperature resistant stereo light-curing 3D printing material, has the characteristics of strong performance, high quality and excellent price, and is widely used in automobiles, electronic appliances, aerospace and other industries.

There are many 3D printing materials on the market with different prices, such as carbon fiber, die steel, aluminum alloy and so on.

Factors Affecting the Price of 3D Printing

The above is how to calculate the price of 3D printing that I shared with you. It mainly refers to the price of industrial-grade 3D printing factories, which is for reference only. Although each material has its advantages and disadvantages, according to market research, most designers choose photosensitive resin materials when testing sample data before production. The quotation you received is the result of a comprehensive calculation, let’s look at those main factors that affect the price of 3D printing service.

3D printing raw materials are limited

It seems that there are many types of 3D printing consumables, but the consumables suitable for different equipment types are still limited. And some materials that exist in very small quantities in nature, even if they can be used, cannot be applied to 3D printing on a large scale.

3D printing consumes a lot of raw materials

3D printing a product requires a lot of consumables. 3D printing is mainly used in some organs and things related to human survival. Moreover, 3D printing requires the equipment to be used for a long time, and it takes time to start up and warm up. There will also be costs in these processes. These costs will be reflected in the price of 3D printing.

3D printing equipment is expensive

The equipment used for 3D printing tends to be large industrial grade 3D printers. The cost of this equipment is relatively high, and it will also have a certain impact on the price of 3D printing.

How to choose a 3d printing service provider?

3D printer manufacturers’ technological innovation research and development capabilities

This is very important. Many key technologies of 3D printers require a very professional team to enter the trial stage through continuous research and development, adjustment and testing. These all take time to accumulate, so try to pay special attention to whether the company is in the processing and manufacturing industry when choosing. Whether there is a considerable history of research and development of 3D printers in China, and the production technology reserves are continuously updated. The software in some 3D printer devices has an anti-aliasing grayscale range and a grayscale range of the backlight surface, which is highly adjustable. After debugging, you don’t have to worry about the fineness of the device becoming larger after a long time, ensuring a good printing effect.

3D printing precision

The accuracy error of light-curing desktop 3D printers is generally between 0.05-0.3mm, depending on the actual equipment. If you are not very clear about the accuracy of the 3D printer, you can contact the manufacturer to provide the proofed model for reference. Of course, you can also try printing. For example, if you want to print a jewelry mold, you can provide drawings for the manufacturer to 3D print the finished product to see if it can achieve the desired accuracy.

cost-effective

This must be of particular concern to everyone. The same LCD 3D printer, why is the price floating different? This involves the overall design of the equipment, including the choice of materials. The acrylic cover that prevents UV light transmission will affect the storage time of the material. It is not as simple as a cover. The price of the z-axis guide is different whether it is a single guide or a double guide, and the stability during the printing process is also different. Of course, it depends on the fineness you want, including the service life of a piece of equipment. 3D printers have been used for 2-5 years, and different equipment, process materials and materials are also very different. The equipment developed by good manufacturers can be used for 8-10 years without any problem.

After-sales customer service quality of 3D printer manufacturers

The internal structure of 3D printer equipment is complex, and it needs to be run-in with the equipment during use. It is inevitable that when after-sales service is required, it will be very delaying if you can’t reply in time if you contact customer service. After the equipment has been used for a long time, it also needs post-maintenance and replacement of defective parts such as machine failures. Therefore, good after-sales service can also allow you to use the equipment with peace of mind.
Comprehensive evaluation, the cost performance of photosensitive resin is relatively high, and the price is also cheap, but when choosing a manufacturer, you should be careful, it is likely that the salesman will increase the price for performance. After all, not every manufacturer’s quotation is as low as that of the Modo Rapid factory.