3D printer material cost (2024)

When you’re considering investing in 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, the 3D printer material cost will inevitably impact your overall 3D printing cost.

Depending on the 3D printing process you choose and the type of industrial 3D printer, you will work with different materials. These could include plastics, 3D printer filament, metal wires, resins, powders, paper, and even living cells.

The cost of working with these materials for 3D printing parts will vary substantially. In some cases, your3D printer material costs will be considerable, so it’s vital that you understand the implications of working with a particular material. You can learn more about this in our article "How to calculate the cost of 3D printed parts".

This article offers you a simple guide to the 3D printer material costs for the three most popular 3D printing technologies:

Powder Bed Fusion is one of the most common processes used in different industry sectors to make end-use 3D printed parts.

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) are commonly used to produce 3D printed parts with polymers.

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) have attractive material properties but are considerably more expensive than standard polymers. They are also manufactured in smaller quantities.

Average price range: $500-800 per Kg

Thermoplastic materials are nearly always used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The cost of filament material, supplied in long filaments rolled up and packaged in spools, is mainly influenced by the type of polymer.

Quality, including dimensional stability and color, also determines how much each filament spool costs.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is currently the most popular filament material used in FDM 3D printing.

PLA is supplied in different blends and grades. Standard filaments tend to be the cheapest. Special filaments like silk PLA or color-changing PLA are more expensive.

Average price range: $10-$100 per Kg.

Made from petroleum, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is frequently used in injection molding. In 3D printing, ABS can be difficult to print without a heated build plate. But, if the process is correctly controlled, ABS can deliver parts with good mechanical properties. When used in FDM 3D printing, ABS is reasonably cheap.

Average price range:$20-$150 per Kg

Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) is similar to the PET plastic used in making bottles. In 3D printing, the glycol is partly replaced with cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) to create a durable material that can withstand sustained contact with chemicals and be formed into any shape. PETG is surprisingly inexpensive.

Average price range:$30-$120 per Kg

In some 3D printing processes, support structuresare required for overhanging features of the 3D printed part. These are removed later. Support structures may cause complications in your 3D printing or add additional lead time. Some 3D printing processes such as HP Multi Jet Fusion don’t require support structures at all.

If you use a dual extrusion machine, you can use a support made from material that can be dissolved in a liquid. This must match the material your soluble support is made from. The temperature melting points also need to be similar.

The most commonly used materials for soluble supports are high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). HIPS is an ideal soluble support for 3D printed parts made from ABS. PVA pairs well with PLA and is water-soluble, so you don’t need a chemical to dissolve the support.

Average price range:$20-$100 per Kg (HIPS), $15-$140 per Kg (PVA)

When flexibility is vital for your 3D printing process, you’ll need to work with what’s known as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). These include thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, thermoplastic co-polyesters (TPC), thermoplastic polyamide (TPA), and soft PLA. If you want to work with a TPE, bear in mind that it’s a relatively expensive material.

Average price range:$35-$140 per Kg

As the name suggests, these are a blend of two materials with different properties such as strength or chemical resistance. In FDM 3D printing, composite materials are made by adding particles of a non-polymer material like metal to widely used filaments like ABS or PLA.

Wood fibers, metal, carbon fiber, magnetic materials, and marble are all used to make composite filaments. Depending on the quality of the additive and its uniqueness, they vary considerably in price. Carbon and wood fiber are the most popular additives.

Average price range:$35-$250 per Kg

With resin 3D printing, known technically as VAT Polymerization, layers of material are cured with light.

All forms of Resin 3D printing technology use thermosets. Like thermoplastics, these are polymers. But, instead of melting, they solidify when cured by light.

Standard material for a resin 3D printer is not cheap.

With resin 3D prints, post-processing includes removing residual liquid material before final curing. This is usually done with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), so you’ll also need to factor the cost of this into your calculations. IPA is highly flammable and damaging to skin, so it’s worth considering using a water- soluble resin.

Average price range: $40-$200 per Kg

In the 3D printing industry, resin 3D printing is usually used more for art-related projects because, compared to FDM 3D printing materials, the resin is not robust.

But there are resins known as tough resins designed specifically to make tough, durable parts. These have mechanical properties like ABS and are only a little more brittle.

Average price range: $60-$200 per Kg

With a resin 3D printer, you can also create 3D printed parts using flexible resins that have a rubber-like quality and a Shore Hardness from 50 to 90A. Flexible resins are used for 3D printed parts such as handles, grips, and overmolds as well as ergonomic parts where you need some flexibility and compressibility.

You can also mix flexible and standard resins to reduce brittleness. Whether you choose to use flexible resins alone or mix them with standard resins, you must make sure the resin is compatible with your 3D printer.

Average price range: $60-$200 per Kg

As you can see, the cost of entry into 3D printing is about more than just 3D printer costs. 3D printing materials are a significant factor when making your hardware choice. Learn more about the materials themselves here.