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Home > Blog > Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in 3D Printing: What It Is and How to Calculate It
10 September, 2025

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in 3D Printing: What It Is and How to Calculate It

3D printing looks affordable at first glance—until hidden costs add up. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is the framework that reveals your real cost per part by combining purchase price, materials, energy, maintenance, and time. Understanding TCO helps teams budget accurately, compare printers fairly, and scale production with confidence.



Why TCO Matters

  • Realistic budgeting: Avoid surprises and price jobs profitably.
  • Apples-to-apples comparisons: Compare printers beyond sticker price.
  • Scale with confidence: Know when to add another machine or outsource.
  • Value engineering: Prioritize changes that actually reduce cost per part.


The Components of TCO


  • CapEx (Acquisition – Residual): Purchase price minus resale value over a chosen period.
  • Materials & Consumables: Filament (or resin), nozzles, hotends, adhesives, PEI sheets, etc.
  • Energy: Power draw (kW) × print hours × electricity price.
  • Maintenance & Service: Scheduled upkeep, spares, periodic calibration.
  • Labor/Setup Time: Operator time for prep, changeovers, and post-processing.
  • Scrap & Reprints: Material/time lost to failed prints and test iterations.
  • Overhead (Optional): Space, HVAC, tools. Include only if relevant to your decision.


A Simple Way to Calculate TCO


  1. Pick a time horizon (e.g., 1–3 years).
  2. Estimate output: parts per month → total parts over the period.
  3. CapEx per part: (Purchase−Residual+PeriodMaintenance)÷TotalParts(Purchase − Residual + Period Maintenance) ÷ Total Parts(Purchase−Residual+PeriodMaintenance)÷TotalParts.
  4. Material per part: (SpoolPrice÷SpoolWeight)×grams/part×(1+scrap(Spool Price ÷ Spool Weight) × grams/part × (1 + scrap%)(SpoolPrice÷SpoolWeight)×grams/part×(1+scrap.
  5. Energy per part: (PowerW÷1000)×kWhprice×hours/part(Power W ÷ 1000) × kWh price × hours/part(PowerW÷1000)×kWhprice×hours/part.
  6. Labor per part (optional): (Labor€/h×operatorminutes/60)(Labor €/h × operator minutes/60)(Labor€/h×operatorminutes/60).
  7. Total cost per part: CapEx/part + Material/part + Energy/part + Labor/part.
  8. TCO over the period: (Total cost per part) × (Total parts).


Practical Tips to Lower TCO


  • Material choice: Match material to end-use—avoid over-spec.
  • Process stability: Good first-layer adhesion, enclosure, and calibration reduce scrap.
  • Batching & planning: Fewer changeovers reduce labor time and risk.
  • Preventive maintenance: Cheaper than emergency downtime.


Try It Yourself: Interactive TCO Calculator


Zaxe TCO + Part Cost Calculator (EUR)

3D Printer TCO Calculator + Per-Part Cost (EUR)

Compute TCO (CapEx + OpEx − resale), machine-hour, and per-part cost (filament + energy). Defaults to EUR with USD & TRY options.

Edit exchange rates (optional)

All outputs auto-convert using these rates.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Monthly OpEx

Energy settings
TCO for period—
Monthly TCO—
Machine-hour cost— /h

Formula: TCO(period) = CapEx + (OpExmo × months) − Resale · Machine-hour = Monthly TCO / Hoursmo

Per-Part Cost

Filament cost—
Energy cost—
Total part cost—
Approx. parts per spool— pcs

Formula: Part = (g/1000 × €/kg) + (hours × €/h), then × (1 + scrap%)

Zaxe material shortcuts

Prices sourced from Zaxe Store (EUR). Update here if your local price differs.

🔌 Energy per hour auto-calculated

(€/h) = (kWh tariff × average W / 1000). You can override it to match real bills.

Sources: Zaxe ABS & PLA EUR prices on Zaxe Store.

Zaxe ABS €22.00 · Zaxe PLA €21.94 — as listed on Zaxe Store. Update here if prices change.