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How much does 3D printing cost?

Whether 3D printing is cost-effective isn't determined by the unit price

A replacement part that shuts down your production line. 20 parts for which it’s not worth making a mold. A design that changes every week. In situations like these, 3D printing is often the most cost-effective solution. Here, you’ll see what factors influence the price and, through real-world projects, how our customers save money.
A row of 3D-printed aluminum metal housings after printing

Does this sound familiar?

Spare part is missing; production line is at a standstill

A missing part can result in downtime costs of several thousand euros. With 3D printing, we manufacture it directly from the CAD data, often within a few days.

Small quantities, no tools required

It’s not worth making a mold for just 20 or 50 parts. With 3D printing, you only pay for the parts you need. Typically, 1 to 1,000 units are cost-effective, and even more depending on the part.

Every change, new tool

In 3D printing, you can modify the CAD file and print it again. There’s no need for tooling changes or the wait time associated with them.

What Determines the Price of a Component

  • Material: Titanium powder costs significantly more than aluminum or engineering plastics.
  • Volume and height: These factors determine material consumption and print time. A part that spends 14 hours in the printer costs more than one that takes 7.5 hours.
  • Post-processing: Stress-relief annealing, sandblasting, or CNC machining of functional surfaces are added to the printing cost.
  • Quantity: Multiple parts in a single build volume share the setup costs. There are no tooling costs.

Sample Cost Analysis: Cast or 3D-Printed Valve Bodies

For this valve housing, we calculated the costs for both options, including all project-related expenses.

Cast 3D printing
Fixed costs 16,500 €
Design and manufacture of the mold		 250 €
Data preparation, orientation, and support structures
Price per part 12 € 510 €
Delivery time per part 1.5 months 3.5 days
Total cost for 10 pieces 16,620 € 5,350 €
Total cost for 50 units 17,100 € 25,750 €

Break-even point at approximately 32 components.
16,500 € + 12 € × n = 250 € + 510 € × n yields n ≈ 32.6. Below this quantity, 3D printing is cheaper; above it, casting is cheaper. Added to this is the time savings: 3.5 days instead of 1.5 months.

Two-piece valve housing from the sample calculation: Casting vs. 3D Printing

Use Cases: Here's where our customers have saved money

Development Stages of a 3D-Printed Gripper Arm for Greiner Packaging's Packaging Line

A Replacement Part Instead of Downtime

Initial Situation: Greiner Packaging was purchasing gripper arms for its packaging line as original parts, at a cost of approximately CHF 900 each and with long lead times.

Solution: Jointly redesigned and 3D-printed from PA12, featuring vacuum channels and predetermined breaking points that protect the machine in the event of a malfunction.

Result: Significantly lower costs, faster availability, and less downtime.

Read the Success Story
Combustion Chamber Component for Rocket Engines Made of Inconel 718 Using Metal 3D Printing

Many parts come together to form one

Initial Situation: A combustion chamber component for rocket engines would conventionally have consisted of many individual parts.

Solution: Printed from Inconel 718 as a single component, with integrated cooling channels. Print time: 11 hours.

Result: Less assembly, fewer sources of error, delivery in just a few days.

View Project

How Much Do Metal Parts Cost in 3D Printing? Two Examples

Fan housing made of AlSi10Mg, 3D-printed and CNC-machined at the mounting surfaces

Aluminum Fan Housing

Lightweight housing for an aircraft engine made of AlSi10Mg. Extruded, then stress-relieved, sandblasted, and CNC-turned and milled at the connection surfaces.

  • Layer thickness: 50 µm
  • Print time: 7.5 hours
  • Total price: 900 €
Multichannel satellite radiator made of Ti-6Al-4V titanium with fine fins

Titanium Radiator

Heat exchanger with fine cooling channels made of Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 23) for the aerospace industry, manufactured without tooling investment. Stress-relieved and sandblasted.

  • Coating thickness: 40 µm
  • Print time: 14 hours
  • Price of the component shown: €970

Frequently Asked Questions About 3D Printing Costs

How much does a 3D-printed part cost?

That depends on the material, volume, printing time, and post-processing. Here are two examples from our projects: a fan housing made of AlSi10Mg for €900 and a titanium radiator for €970. For your part, the online calculator will show you the price and delivery time in just a few seconds.

At what quantity does casting become more cost-effective?

That depends on the ratio between tooling costs and unit price. For the valve housing in our example, the break-even point is around 32 units. For large production runs, traditional manufacturing is usually more cost-effective.

Why is the unit price higher than for castings?

Each part is built up individually, layer by layer, and this process takes up machine time. However, no mold is required. For small production runs, this more than offsets the higher unit price.

What are the additional costs for printing?

Data preparation with alignment and support structures, as well as post-processing, such as stress-relief annealing, sandblasting, or CNC machining of fits and sealing surfaces.

How can costs be reduced?

By designing the part for 3D printing: integrate functions into a single part, use material only where it is needed to support the structure, and limit CNC machining to the functional surfaces.

How do I get a price?

Upload your CAD file to the online calculator and get an instant estimate of the price and delivery time. For complex components, production runs, or special requirements, we’ll provide you with personalized advice.

Can your components also be manufactured more cost-effectively?

Upload your part and get an instant estimate of the price and delivery time.

1️⃣ Online Calculator

Get prices and delivery times for prototypes, replacement parts, and small production runs in just a few seconds.

2️⃣ Custom Inquiry

For complex components, series production projects, or special requirements, our experts will advise you personally.

Onur Yildirim, Head of Sales for Additive Manufacturing at Hoffmann AM
Would you like to know how much your component costs? Talk to us.

Onur Yildirim

Head of Sales, Additive Manufacturing

 +49 89 83 919 898 

  3d@hoffmann-am.com 

 Fislisbach, Switzerland