# 3D printing cost calculator

- Human page: https://happytails.ai/en/calculators/3d-printing-cost-calculator/
- Markdown: https://happytails.ai/en/calculators/3d-printing-cost-calculator.md
- Structured JSON: https://happytails.ai/agents/en/calculators/3d-printing-cost-calculator/index.json
- Visibility: public

## Tool capabilities

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tool ID | `3d-printing-cost-calculator` |
| Category | calculators |
| Implementation | Registered implementation. Registration alone is not a production-quality guarantee. |
| Browser execution | Automatic updates after valid input or file selection. |
| Browser processing | Browser; see tool notes for network behavior. |
| HTTP API | Not callable through HTTP. |
| Browser-agent interface | run_current_tool |

### Implementation notes

Estimate filament, electricity, machine time, hands-on labor and overhead. Enter costs in one currency. This calculates production cost, not a selling price. Changing units keeps the entered numbers. Calculations run on your device.

### Inputs and settings

No free-text input is required. Use the file inputs and/or settings below.

| Setting | Meaning | Control type | Default | Constraints |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `filamentMass` | Filament for the whole batch | number | 100 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `filamentUnit` | Filament mass unit | select | "g" | Allowed: g, kg, oz, lb |
| `spoolMass` | Filament in one spool | number | 1000 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `spoolUnit` | Spool mass unit | select | "g" | Allowed: g, kg, oz, lb |
| `spoolPrice` | Price per spool | number | 20 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `materialWaste` | Extra filament allowance (%) | number | 10 | min=0 max=100 step=any |
| `hours` | Machine hours for the batch | number | 5 | min=0 max=100000 step=any |
| `powerWatts` | Average printer power (watts) | number | 150 | min=0 max=1000000 step=any |
| `electricityRate` | Electricity price per kWh | number | 0.2 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `machineRate` | Machine cost per hour, excluding power | number | 0.5 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `laborMinutes` | Hands-on labor minutes | number | 15 | min=0 max=10000000 step=any |
| `laborRate` | Labor price per hour | number | 20 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `overhead` | Other fixed batch cost | number | 2 | min=0 max=1000000000 step=any |
| `parts` | Usable finished parts | number | 2 | min=1 max=1000000 step=1 |
| `currency` | Currency of every entered rate | select | "USD" | Allowed: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, Other |

### Browser-agent workflow

1. Open the human page in a browser that supports WebMCP.
2. Discover the interface exposed by that page; use its actual schema.
3. Select files on the page first when the tool requires files.
4. Call `run_current_tool` with valid input and settings.
5. Inspect the returned result or error and the displayed output. Retrieve files from the displayed download links.

Calls do not automatically copy or download results. Browser permissions still apply. Interface availability alone is not proof of successful execution.

### Planning specification

Up to 1 million usable parts and 100% filament allowance. All entered costs use one currency; this is a cost estimate, not a quote.

This describes intended requirements. Use the implementation notes, interface schema and observed output to determine current support.

### Complete machine-readable capability record

```json
{
  "id": "3d-printing-cost-calculator",
  "category": "calculators",
  "built": true,
  "requirements": "Up to 1 million usable parts and 100% filament allowance. All entered costs use one currency; this is a cost estimate, not a quote.",
  "implementation": {
    "fields": [
      {
        "key": "filamentMass",
        "label": "Filament for the whole batch",
        "value": 100,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "filamentUnit",
        "label": "Filament mass unit",
        "value": "g",
        "type": "select",
        "values": [
          "g",
          "kg",
          "oz",
          "lb"
        ]
      },
      {
        "key": "spoolMass",
        "label": "Filament in one spool",
        "value": 1000,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "spoolUnit",
        "label": "Spool mass unit",
        "value": "g",
        "type": "select",
        "values": [
          "g",
          "kg",
          "oz",
          "lb"
        ]
      },
      {
        "key": "spoolPrice",
        "label": "Price per spool",
        "value": 20,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "materialWaste",
        "label": "Extra filament allowance (%)",
        "value": 10,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 100,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "hours",
        "label": "Machine hours for the batch",
        "value": 5,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 100000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "powerWatts",
        "label": "Average printer power (watts)",
        "value": 150,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "electricityRate",
        "label": "Electricity price per kWh",
        "value": 0.2,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "machineRate",
        "label": "Machine cost per hour, excluding power",
        "value": 0.5,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "laborMinutes",
        "label": "Hands-on labor minutes",
        "value": 15,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 10000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "laborRate",
        "label": "Labor price per hour",
        "value": 20,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "overhead",
        "label": "Other fixed batch cost",
        "value": 2,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 0,
        "max": 1000000000,
        "step": "any"
      },
      {
        "key": "parts",
        "label": "Usable finished parts",
        "value": 2,
        "type": "number",
        "min": 1,
        "max": 1000000,
        "step": 1
      },
      {
        "key": "currency",
        "label": "Currency of every entered rate",
        "value": "USD",
        "type": "select",
        "values": [
          "USD",
          "EUR",
          "GBP",
          "CAD",
          "AUD",
          "Other"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "input": false,
    "live": true,
    "background": false,
    "presentation": "metrics",
    "note": "Estimate filament, electricity, machine time, hands-on labor and overhead. Enter costs in one currency. This calculates production cost, not a selling price. Changing units keeps the entered numbers. Calculations run on your device.",
    "experience": {
      "automatic": true,
      "single": false,
      "inputMaxLength": 1000000,
      "inputMode": "text",
      "label": "Your text",
      "placeholder": "Type or paste your input…",
      "help": "Change the input or settings to update your result. Results update as you type. Up to 1,000,000 characters.",
      "action": null
    },
    "mode": "automatic",
    "interactive": false
  },
  "execution": "Browser interface",
  "api": null,
  "browser_agent": {
    "supported": true,
    "name": "run_current_tool",
    "discovery": "WebMCP on the human page in a supporting browser",
    "verification": "See audit/API-AUDIT.md; availability is not verification"
  }
}
```

## Page guide

Estimate the cost of a print batch from filament, electricity, machine hours, labor and fixed overhead.

How can we improve this tool?

Report a problem or share an idea.

Please leave out private information. Your message and the tool name go to our team via PostHog.

### How to use 3D printing cost calculator

1. Enter your measurements, rates or supplied recipe.
2. Review the quantities, rounding and plan details.
3. Download the result and verify it against your actual materials or a sample.

## Useful next steps

- [Laser cutting cost calculator](https://happytails.ai/en/calculators/laser-cutting-cost-calculator/) ([Markdown](https://happytails.ai/en/calculators/laser-cutting-cost-calculator.md))

- [3D print shrinkage compensator](https://happytails.ai/en/calculators/3d-print-shrinkage-compensator/) ([Markdown](https://happytails.ai/en/calculators/3d-print-shrinkage-compensator.md))

## Measure the whole print job

Enter filament mass for the full job, spool mass and spool price. Add a material allowance only for losses not already included. Printer power and duration give electricity consumption in kWh; multiply that by your own electricity price.

### Keep costs separate

Machine rate excludes separately entered electricity, labor and overhead. With the example inputs, filament costs 2.20, electricity 0.15, machine time 2.50, labor 5 and overhead 2, giving 11.85 for the batch or 5.925 per usable part. No selling margin or tax is inferred.

### Save the plan

Download the result as CSV, plus a text or JSON report with formulas, values and assumptions. Everything is calculated on your device. Changing units keeps the entered numbers, so check the selected units before using the plan.