Additive Manufacturing worked example

Additive Machine Utilization at 54% target machine utilization: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop target machine utilization to 54%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Calculate additive printer utilization from booked print hours, available hours, and target utilization.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Booked print hours: 128 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Available printer hours: 168 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Target machine utilization: 54 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 75)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Machine utilization = booked print hours รท available printer hours.
  • Machine utilization works out to 76.19 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gap to target works out to -22.19 points at these inputs.
  • Booked print hours works out to 128 hr at these inputs.
  • Available printer hours works out to 168 hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target machine utilization sits at 75% and the headline result is 76.19 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 76.19 %.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to target machine utilization, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. Booked hours are not the same as billable or value-add hours; failed builds and reprints inflate utilization while destroying margin, so pair this with print failure and yield metrics.

Results at a glance

  • Machine utilization: 76.19 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target: -22.19 points
  • Booked print hours: 128 hr
  • Available printer hours: 168 hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Additive Machine Utilization calculator, set target machine utilization to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.