Additive Manufacturing worked example
3D Print Time at 21% setup and handling allowance: a worked example
Push setup and handling allowance up to 21% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. a print technician or service bureau scheduler needs realistic print hours before committing a due date
The inputs for this scenario
- Parts required: 48 parts (unchanged)
- Sustained print rate: 0.08 parts / min (unchanged)
- Setup and handling allowance: 21 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 18)
Working through the calculation
- Applying the documented formula (Base print time = parts required รท sustained print rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
- At this operating point the engine returns 726 hr for planned print time, the number this scenario is built around.
- At this operating point the engine returns 600 hr for slicer-equivalent run time.
- At this operating point the engine returns 21 % for setup/handling allowance.
- At this operating point the engine returns 0.08 parts / min for sustained print rate.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where setup and handling allowance sits at 18% and the headline result is 708 hr, this scenario comes in 2.54% above the baseline at 726 hr.
- It converts parts required and a sustained per-minute print rate into base print hours, then inflates by a setup/handling allowance to get planned printer hours. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.
Results at a glance
- Planned print time: 726 hr (headline result)
- Slicer-equivalent run time: 600 hr
- Setup/handling allowance: 21 %
- Sustained print rate: 0.08 parts / min
Run it with your numbers
- Every input above is editable in the live 3D Print Time calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.