Additive Manufacturing worked example

Filament Usage with filament consumption rate of 14 g / hr: a worked example

This worked example runs the filament usage numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: filament consumption rate of 14 g / hr instead of the typical 28 g / hr. Estimate FDM filament consumption from measured extrusion rate, print time, and filament cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Filament consumption rate: 14 g / hr (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 28)
  • Planned print time: 14 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Filament unit cost: 0.04 $ / g (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Filament used = filament consumption rate × planned print time.
  • Filament used works out to 196 g at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Filament run cost works out to 6.86 $ at these inputs.
  • Planned print time works out to 14 hr at these inputs.
  • Filament unit cost works out to 0.04 $ / g at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where filament consumption rate sits at 28 g / hr and the headline result is 392 g, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 196 g.
  • Use it when costing an additive job's material or checking you have enough filament on the spool to finish a planned print without a swap. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Filament used: 196 g (headline result)
  • Filament run cost: 6.86 $
  • Planned print time: 14 hr
  • Filament unit cost: 0.04 $ / g

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Filament Usage calculator, set filament consumption rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.