Additive Manufacturing worked example

Build Volume Utilization at 75% target build utilization: a worked example

What does the result look like when target build utilization reaches 75%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. an AM engineer or scheduler needs to check nesting efficiency before releasing a build

The inputs for this scenario

  • Nested part/support volume: 680 cu in (unchanged)
  • Usable machine build volume: 1,200 cu in (unchanged)
  • Target build utilization: 75 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 65)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Build volume utilization = nested part/support volume ÷ usable machine build volume) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 56.67 % for build volume utilization, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 18.33 points for gap to target.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 680 cu in for nested volume.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,200 cu in for usable build volume.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target build utilization sits at 65% and the headline result is 56.67 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 56.67 %.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when target build utilization is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It measures volumetric fill only — it ignores thermal spacing rules, recoater clearance and orientation constraints, so the theoretical maximum is well below 100%.

Results at a glance

  • Build volume utilization: 56.67 % (headline result)
  • Gap to target: 18.33 points
  • Nested volume: 680 cu in
  • Usable build volume: 1,200 cu in

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Build Volume Utilization calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.