Metal 3D printing has been a hot topic for a while now, and that’s no surprise given the technology’s incredible potential. Yet, despite the industry’s growth, prices of printers seem to be a bit of an unknown.
Manufacturers of metal 3D printers don’t usually list prices online, and nor can the values be easily “Googled”. The main reason for this is that manufacturers usually tailor quotes specifically to clients’ needs. Indeed, a metal 3D printer can’t simply be ordered online like your typical FDM 3D printer; chances are you’ll need to arrange multiple calls, emails, and meetings.
All of that said, we can at least begin to answer the question in the title. As you might expect, metal 3D printers are expensive. Generally speaking, prices for professional machines range from $50,000 to $1 million, with the final amount being highly dependent on a printer’s size and performance.
Only Half the Battle
Very important to keep in mind with metal 3D printing is that the cost of the machine itself often represents only a fraction of the overall cost. In some cases, the printer’s price may account for as little as 40% of total expenses, which include not only equipment ownership, operation, and maintenance, but also material and post-processing costs.
Though not all metal 3D printers use metal powder, a kilogram of this material alone can cost between $300 and $600. Similarly, post-processing requirements depend on which technology you use. For example, a station for debinding and sintering is required for metal binder jetting. Powder bed fusion doesn’t require the same add-ons, but as supports are needed, the specific tooling used in post-processing can also become expensive.
As a final note, metal 3D printers aren’t plug-and-play machines, meaning they must be operated by trained workers. To sum up, it’s all big numbers with metal 3D printing.
Surveying the Market
In this article, we’ll present a few of the market’s most popular metal 3D printers and their prices, starting from low to high. Where possible, we’ll also highlight secondary costs like machine add-ons.
Before that, though, we’ll discuss how it’s possible to have something metal 3D printed without having to invest in the necessary equipment, material, and training.