Additive Manufacturing Service Bureau Quoting worked example

AM Order Profitability at 72% margin capture rate after discounts: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop margin capture rate after discounts to 72%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate additive order profit contribution from accepted parts or hours, contribution rate, billable capture, and fixed profit adjustments.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Sellable parts or billable print hours: 65 parts or hr (held at the documented default)
  • Contribution margin per part or print hour: 22 $ / part or $ / hr (held at the documented default)
  • Margin capture rate after discounts: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Fixed setup and post-processing profit add: 380 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Captured contribution = sellable units × contribution per unit × profitability capture.
  • Order profitability basis works out to 1,410 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Contribution per unit works out to 21.69 $ / part or $ / hr at these inputs.
  • Captured contribution works out to 1,030 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed profit adjustment works out to 380 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where margin capture rate after discounts sits at 100% and the headline result is 1,810 $, this scenario comes in 22.12% below the baseline at 1,410 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to margin capture rate after discounts, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. 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.

Results at a glance

  • Order profitability basis: 1,410 $ (headline result)
  • Contribution per unit: 21.69 $ / part or $ / hr
  • Captured contribution: 1,030 $
  • Fixed profit adjustment: 380 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live AM Order Profitability calculator, set margin capture rate after discounts to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.