How do you calculate order profitability for a 3D printing job?

Multiply sellable units by contribution per unit to get gross contribution, multiply by your capture rate, then add any fixed profit. With 65 parts at $22 contribution, 100% capture and a $380 fixed add, captured contribution is $1,430 and total order profitability is $1,810.

What is a good contribution margin per part for an AM service bureau?

Most healthy bureaus target $15-$40 contribution per part on production resin and SLS work after material and machine time, or 35-55% of sell price. The $22 per part in the worked example sits in a typical range for mid-volume nylon parts.

What does margin capture rate mean here?

It is the share of nominal contribution you keep after volume discounts, negotiated concessions and giveaways. At 100% you capture full margin; drop it to 85% and the same 65-part order yields only about $1,216 of captured contribution before the fixed add.

Contribution margin vs gross profit, which should I quote on?

Quote variable decisions on contribution margin because fixed machine depreciation does not change whether you run one more order. Use gross profit for annual P&L. This tool deliberately works in contribution terms so a partially-loaded build still looks correctly profitable.

Why add a fixed profit adjustment instead of folding it into per-unit margin?

Setup, slicing, build-plate prep and rush surcharges do not scale with part count, so spreading a $380 fee across 65 parts distorts your per-part economics. Keeping it as a fixed add keeps the per-unit margin clean for comparing different order sizes.

How do I use this to set a minimum order price?

Set capture to your worst acceptable discount and the fixed add to zero, then check that captured contribution still covers the labor and overhead that order consumes. If 65 parts at reduced capture fall below that floor, raise price or decline.

Additive Manufacturing Service Bureau Quoting calculator

AM Order Profitability Calculator

Order profitability is the dollar contribution a single additive manufacturing job leaves on the table after variable material, machine and labor costs are covered. Service bureau estimators and shop owners use it to decide whether a quote is worth running, how much discount room exists, and which customers actually fund the overhead. Unlike a flat markup, this view ties profit to the contribution each printed part or billable build hour generates, then layers in any fixed per-order profit such as a setup or rush fee. It is the number that separates a busy print farm from a profitable one.

What this calculator does

Estimate additive order profit contribution from accepted parts or hours, contribution rate, billable capture, and fixed profit adjustments.
a service bureau owner or quoting manager needs to judge whether an order is worth accepting
It computes the total dollar contribution an additive order generates from its sellable units, per-unit margin, the share of that margin you actually capture after concessions, plus any fixed profit add.

Formula used

Captured contribution = sellable units × contribution per unit × profitability capture
Order profitability basis = captured contribution + fixed profit adjustment

Inputs explained

Sellable parts or billable print hours:
Contribution margin per part or print hour:
Margin capture rate after discounts:
Fixed setup and post-processing profit add:

How to use the result

Use it when reviewing a quote before it goes out, comparing two jobs competing for the same build plate, or setting a floor price below which an order should be declined.
It assumes your per-unit contribution margin is already net of true variable cost; if material waste, support removal time or failed-print scrap are missing from that figure, the profitability shown will be optimistic.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for plastic resins and materials stands at 280.569 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 6.6% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. prime lending rate is 7.00% (Federal Reserve via FRED, 2026-10-02). Payback and financing math should start from today's rate, not a remembered one.

Common questions

How do you calculate order profitability for a 3D printing job? Multiply sellable units by contribution per unit to get gross contribution, multiply by your capture rate, then add any fixed profit. With 65 parts at $22 contribution, 100% capture and a $380 fixed add, captured contribution is $1,430 and total order profitability is $1,810.
What is a good contribution margin per part for an AM service bureau? Most healthy bureaus target $15-$40 contribution per part on production resin and SLS work after material and machine time, or 35-55% of sell price. The $22 per part in the worked example sits in a typical range for mid-volume nylon parts.
What does margin capture rate mean here? It is the share of nominal contribution you keep after volume discounts, negotiated concessions and giveaways. At 100% you capture full margin; drop it to 85% and the same 65-part order yields only about $1,216 of captured contribution before the fixed add.
Contribution margin vs gross profit, which should I quote on? Quote variable decisions on contribution margin because fixed machine depreciation does not change whether you run one more order. Use gross profit for annual P&L. This tool deliberately works in contribution terms so a partially-loaded build still looks correctly profitable.
Why add a fixed profit adjustment instead of folding it into per-unit margin? Setup, slicing, build-plate prep and rush surcharges do not scale with part count, so spreading a $380 fee across 65 parts distorts your per-part economics. Keeping it as a fixed add keeps the per-unit margin clean for comparing different order sizes.
How do I use this to set a minimum order price? Set capture to your worst acceptable discount and the fixed add to zero, then check that captured contribution still covers the labor and overhead that order consumes. If 65 parts at reduced capture fall below that floor, raise price or decline.

Last reviewed 2026-07-02.