Cost Analysis & ROI
Concrete cost-per-part, total cost of ownership, payback time for your business case.
What we do
- Cost per part: material, machine time, post-processing, overhead
- Total Cost of Ownership: machine, training, maintenance, materials, space
- Comparison with conventional manufacturing (machining, casting, forging)
How the process unfolds
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01
Submit parts CAD files or drawings of one to five representative parts.
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02
Print time and material calculation Toolpathing simulation gives exact time and material consumption per part.
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03
Comparison report Cost-per-part for AM vs your current route, including breakeven volume.
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04
Sensitivity analysis What if material prices rise, or hourly rates fall — how does the business case change.
Who this service is for
- Purchasers comparing quotes: make vs buy, AM vs traditional
- CFOs and finance leads underpinning an investment decision
- Production engineers evaluating specific parts
Real-world examples
Heat-exchanger manifold: AM vs CNC
Aluminum manifold, modest annual volume. Comparison CNC vs Wire-LMD on cost per part and on lead time gave a clear breakeven volume. Recommendation: AM is advantageous from their projected annual volume.
Reverse-engineered legacy part
Pump impeller whose OEM left the market. Comparison CNC from billet vs Wire-LMD near-net-shape with CNC finish showed that the AM route is substantially cheaper per unit. Payback on the scan + reverse engineering was achieved within a handful of units.
TCO 5-year for own Meltio M600
Machine + maintenance + material + operator time + utilities. Spread over the depreciation horizon and planned print hours, this works out to an hourly rate comparable to or better than outsourcing, plus full availability when you need it.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are your cost calculations?
Print time and material: highly accurate via simulation. Post-processing and machining: a bandwidth depending on end spec. Overhead and hourly rates: based on your own figures — we do not guess. The report always makes clear which assumptions were made where.
Do you account for failure rate and reprints?
Yes, with a realistic scrap rate per alloy and geometry type. For first prints we include a wider buffer; for established production workflows this drops to minimal losses.
Can you also calculate payback for a new machine?
Yes, that is a frequently requested combination. Total Cost of Ownership over the depreciation horizon against the annual savings on outsourcing or accelerated lead time. This includes the sensitivity analysis on print volume and hourly rates.
Ready for Cost Analysis & ROI?
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