How to calculate the cost of 3D printed parts printed with SLS technology?

As with other 3D printing technologies, in SLS 3D printing it is crucial to know what the printing costs will be for each 3D printed part. This article explains how to know the approximate costs of 3D printing with the SLS 3D printers Sinterit Lisa and Sinterit Lisa Pro.

To understand and calculate the cost of parts 3D printed using SLS technology with Lisa or Lisa Pro, the material cycle must be taken into account.

To 3D print parts with SLS Sinterit 3D printers, a powder mixture consisting of used powder and refreshing powder is used. After 3D printing, the used powder is reused with the addition of a percentage of refreshing powder. This mixture is used again to refill the 3D printer in order to be able to launch a new print.

Image 1: Cycle of use of 3D printing powder with Lisa and Lisa Pro. Source: Sinterit.

• Used powder - Unsintered powder found in the 3D printer after the part printing process.
• Refresh Powder - Powder needed to refresh the unsintered powder after the 3D printing process.
• Ready-to-print powder - Mixture of used powder + refresh powder ready to fill the 3D printer and print.

How is it calculated?

The following percentages of material are used for 3D printing with Sinterit Lisa or Lisa Pro printers:

79% Used powder + 21% Refresh Powder

However, this is not the only thing to take into account. The Sinterit Lisa and Sinterit Lisa Pro printers must be filled with ready-to-print powder up to a height that will be determined by the part or parts to be printed.

It should be taken into account that, maintaining the same height, the printing costs will be much lower when 3D printing a greater number of parts.

Below are some examples of the cost of parts 3D printed with Sinterit 3D printers using PA12 Smooth powder:

Example 1 - Battery lever:

Part size: 38 x 31 x 12 mm
Material: PA12 Smooth
Part volume: 2.02 cm³

0.71 € per piece when 3D printing 170 pieces.
0.20 € (Direct powder) + 0.51 € (Refreshment material).

17.60€ per piece when 3D printing 1 piece.
0.20€ (Direct powder) + 17.40€ (Refreshment material).

Example 2 - Bicycle pedal:

Part size: 91 x 88 x 36 mm
Material: PA12 Smooth
Part volume: 33.25 cm³

11.82 € per piece when 3D printing 10 pieces.
3.00 € (Direct powder) + 8.82 € (Refreshment material).

28.70 € per piece when 3D printing 1 piece.
3.00 € (Direct powder) + 25.70 € (Refreshment material).

Example 3 - Suspension:

Part size: 80 x 113 x 122 mm
Material: PA12 Smooth
Part volume: 114.98 cm³

53.41 € per part when 3D printing 2 parts.
10.40 € (Direct powder) + 43.01 € (Refreshment material).

65.30 € per part when 3D printing 1 part.
10.40 € (Direct powder) + 54.90 € (Refreshment material).

Example 4 - Water bottle:

Part size: 76 x 80 x 225 mm
Material: PA12 Smooth
Part volume: 132 cm³

57.13 € per piece when 3D printing 2 pieces.
12.00 € (Direct powder) + 45.13 € (Refreshment material).

102.30 € per part when 3D printing 1 part only.
12.00 € (Direct powder) + 90.30 € (Refreshment material).

Undoubtedly, SLS 3D printing with Sinterit SLS 3D printers allows a lower material cost than other equipment of the same technology, making the printing cost also lower. Therefore, they can be main or complementary equipment of great use even for those companies that already have industrial SLS 3D printers.