SLS Pricing Explained

How do we price your SLS parts?

When you upload a 3D model, our system analyzes the geometry and extracts several key parameters that drive pricing.

• Bounding Box: This is the maximum extent of the part in X, Y, and Z. It represents the overall envelope that defines how efficiently the part can be placed in our build volume. Large bounding boxes often impact nesting efficiency and machine space utilization.

• Part Volume: The solid volume of your part indicates how much material is needed and how long the laser will be active during the build. This has a direct effect on both cost and build time.

• Surface Area: The outer surface of your part contributes to scan path length, geometric complexity, and finishing requirements. Complex geometries with large surface area may require more time to clean and prepare.

We combine these values in a proprietary pricing formula designed to balance efficiency, quality, and machine throughput. The result is a fair and consistent price that reflects how your part is built inside our production environment.

This approach ensures that every quote accounts not only for material usage in our Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) machines, but also for how your part fits into the larger picture of build planning, laser time, and post-processing effort.

Additional Cost for SLS Parts

Pricing for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) parts goes beyond bounding box, volume, and surface area. There are other important factors that influence cost, and we include them in our quoting system so you can understand where the value comes from. These include setup charges, quantity discounts, part minimums, and finishing or dye services.

Setup charges

Every build requires machine setup and preparation before the first layer is printed. For our most popular material, PA12 Nylon, these setup charges are kept low because the machines are already optimized to run it daily. For other specialty nylons or elastomers, the setup cost is higher due to the time and care required to switch machines, purge powder, and adjust thermal profiles. Elastomer powders in particular are less compatible than nylon and demand special handling, so additional care is taken to ensure consistent results.

Discounts

We use a logarithmic calculation to apply discounts, which means the savings grow quickly as quantities increase. Customers see significant cost reductions as orders approach production volumes, with deep discounts available for runs of up to 10,000 parts. This approach rewards batch orders and makes SLS cost-effective not only for prototyping but also for true production.

Minimums

Each part has a minimum cost to cover the processing required before printing. This includes checking the file, verifying geometry integrity, and confirming that the model meets design guideline requirements such as minimum wall thickness or feature size. These checks ensure that the part can be built successfully and that the customer is aware of any risks. Even the smallest parts require this review, which is why a minimum applies to every part.

Finish & Dye

Beyond natural parts, we offer dye and other finishing services that add cost depending on the geometry of the part. Because finishing is applied to the outer surfaces, surface area is the main cost driver. Larger or more complex parts with a lot of exposed surface require more time and material to dye or finish evenly. These options allow customers to specify color, improve cosmetic appeal, or add functionality, but they are applied as additional services on top of the base SLS build.