Article on Cost calculator

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I didn't understand why this function was even put into Zsuite.

To me it is useless as I factor my prices to the grams and that is the charge, where as I know the cost of what my filaments cost me and having it in Zsuite has no use after the fact.

But my issue now is potential customers--my customers, not Zortrax; will see this and think all 3D Printing companies are a rip off if this is how much it costs.

Yeah, they can actually do research and find the cost of a gram of filament and then compare that to the charge but people are inherently lazy and won't do that for the most part.

So now this article puts it out there for the lazy people to see when it has no inherent value on a customer choosing Zortrax Printer over any other 3D Printer on the market; but could have ill effect on people using the M200 for a business.

Yeah I know I probably over thought this today but when I saw this (and even when I saw it was put in Zsuite) this is what I thought and still think.

:angry:  :(  :unsure:

yes but your cost is not only your filament, it's the ammortisation of the printer, it's your rent, your electricity, your taxes, your time studying/trying/failing/improving (aka experience), your wasted material, your advertising cost, and so much more...

People do not think about how much experience some of us have when we boast about the M200 or other printers. They pick up a mid range printer as a first time user and end up killing the machine as they turn it on (by having the build plate put on upside down if you can believe it). Then complain about how others lie about the printer or that the printer is at fault. A lot of people don't understand even basic mechanical principles thus breaking the machine without knowing it.

The general public will continue to do this as long as media keeps stating that this is an easy field and anyone can do it from home. Bringing it back to the point on hand, The general public is too lazy to do any research in the field of 3D printing. Few-and-far between are the people who do the research, troll the forums, ask questions, and compare for their own good. Hence why Makerbot's 5th Gen series had such staggering sales (more than 120K printers sold) even when it was apparent to so many that the printer was fatally flawed. 

So I would not worry about this feature if I were you, on the off chance that a customer ask's you why you cost so much more than the print you are making tell them what Voudas said; "it's the ammortisation of the printer, it's your rent, your electricity, your taxes, your time studying/trying/failing/improving (aka experience), your wasted material, your advertising cost, and so much more..."

-NS

I understand all that. It's getting the initial inquiry. lol

But I didn't start out to make a 3D Printing business. I had other plans, now I just want to make a few bucks and pay for the expenditures of the business. 

I got all the parts to make my Lyman Extruder V5 but saw he has a V6 and awaiting his updated plans to build that version instead. 

Apparently it is vertical instead of horizontal and the winder is set apart from the extruder to extrude consistent diameter filament.

Seems like I am always waiting for something. lol One of these days I might actually get to start mass printing my Keychains. ha

Hi everyone,

the function of cost calculation is very helpful, I had made an Excel spreadsheet and the results are similar, I recommend it to Zortrax enter in variables that we can change, the cost of electricity kWh, in order to make the calculation more effective , given that this cost is very variable from country to country.

That's crazy.

This isn't "Quickbooks"!    It's 3D slicing software!!   That kinda thing doesn't belong in it, in my opinion!!!

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  ^_^

A good analogy for a customer would be food.

In most restaurants, the food on your plate can be valued at under £5 (often as low as £1-2) for the raw ingredients alone. But we accept spending many times this on the meal, because of the costs of running the restaurant. Creating a 3d printed part for a customer is no different.