Additive Manufacturing Service Bureau Quoting calculator
Powder Refresh Quote Cost Calculator
Powder bed quotes must account for virgin powder refresh, sieving, blending, and traceability rules. This calculator prices the refresh portion of the job so reused powder economics do not hide the true material cost.
What this calculator does
- Estimate powder refresh cost for SLS, MJF, or metal AM quotes from virgin powder mass, powder price, refresh capture, and handling charge.
- a service bureau estimator needs to add powder refresh cost to a powder bed quote
- Returns the material and handling cost associated with virgin powder refresh for a quoted build.
Formula used
- Captured refresh cost = virgin powder mass × virgin powder price × billable refresh share
- Powder refresh quote cost = captured refresh cost + sieving/blending charge
Inputs explained
- Virgin powder refresh mass: undefined
- Virgin powder price: undefined
- Billable refresh share: undefined
- Sieving/blending charge: undefined
How to use the result
- Use it for SLS, MJF, binder jet, DMLS, and other powder bed quotes with refresh rules.
- It does not approve powder reuse; material traceability, oxygen content, sieving results, and customer specs still control powder eligibility.
Common questions
- Should reused powder be included? Include only the virgin refresh mass here; price reused powder separately if your shop charges for reusable inventory consumption.
- What is billable refresh share? It is the percentage of refresh cost charged to the customer when some powder cost is absorbed or shared across builds.
- Where do lab checks go? Add sieve, moisture, oxygen, or certification charges to the fixed handling charge or quote them separately.
- How does nesting affect this? Better nesting can spread refresh and handling cost across more sellable parts.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.