3D Printing Filament & Cost Calculator
Print Estimation Results
Estimated Print Weight: 0 g
Estimated Cost: $0.00
Spool Usage: 0% of the spool
Remaining Filament on Spool: 0 g
Understanding 3D Filament Calculations
Whether you are running a 3D printing business or a hobbyist, knowing exactly how much material your print will consume is vital. Slicer software provides length estimates, but converting that into weight and cost helps you manage your inventory and pricing strategy effectively.
How the Calculation Works
The math behind 3D printing filament is based on the volume of a cylinder. To find the weight of a print from its length, we follow these steps:
- Radius Calculation: We take the filament diameter (usually 1.75mm) and divide by 2.
- Volume Formula: We use the formula π × r² × Length.
- Density Conversion: We multiply the volume by the material density (g/cm³) to get the final weight in grams.
- Cost Analysis: We divide the spool price by the total grams in the spool to find the price-per-gram, then multiply by the print weight.
Common Filament Densities
| Material | Average Density (g/cm³) |
|---|---|
| PLA (Polylactic Acid) | 1.24 |
| ABS | 1.04 |
| PETG | 1.27 |
| TPU (Flexible) | 1.21 |
| Nylon | 1.08 |
Practical Example
Imagine you are printing a model that requires 50 meters of PLA filament (1.75mm diameter). You bought a 1kg spool for $25.00.
- Volume: 50m of 1.75mm filament is roughly 120.26 cm³.
- Weight: 120.26 cm³ × 1.24 g/cm³ ≈ 149.13 grams.
- Cost: (149.13g / 1000g) × $25.00 ≈ $3.73.
This information allows you to realize that a single 1kg spool can print approximately 6 of these models, with a little material left over for priming and skirts.