Using the Per-Part Costing Feature in GrabCAD Print Pro™
GrabCAD Print Pro now offers a highly requested feature called Per-Part Costing. This tool allows you to estimate the cost of your 3D printed parts directly within the software, saving you time and eliminating the need for external spreadsheets.
-
Step 1: Set up your material base rates
To begin, you'll need to input the base rates for your materials. For FDM printers, the rates are typically measured in cubic inches, while PolyJet printers use kilograms. A simple guideline for affordable ABS is $4 per cubic inch for both the model material and support material. For the PolyJet J55, the best estimated material cost is $427 per kilogram. For more accurate estimates, please refer to the My Stratasys store when purchasing materials.
-
Step 2: Input the estimated print time
Next, you'll need to provide an estimate of the running cost of your machine when printing. A baseline estimate of $30 per hour is a good starting point.
-
Step 3: Adjust other inputs (optional)
There are other inputs you can change, but the main focus should be on the material and support rates.
-
Step 4: Save the file
Once you've entered all the necessary information, click on the save button.
-
Step 5: Slice the model
GrabCAD Print Pro will now go through the process of slicing your model.
-
Step 6: Review the per-part estimation
After slicing, you should see a new column called "Cost" in the per-part estimation section. This will display the estimated cost for each part based on the material usage, support, and time inputs you provided earlier.
