MATERIAL & TIME
Material and print duration
Can I enter the slicer's filament weight directly?
Yes, if it comes from the final production profile. For a multi-part plate, divide total grams by the number of good parts. Check whether supports and purge are already included before adding an extra-use percentage.
Should I use slicer time or actual elapsed time?
Use an average actual duration when you have repeat records. Otherwise start with the slicer estimate and record whether warm-up, calibration and pauses create a consistent difference.
Why is the electricity cost so small?
The formula converts watts to kilowatts and multiplies by hours and your energy rate. On a small printer, electricity can be much lower than labor or machine cost. Make sure the power input is a realistic average rather than an unrelated standby value.
MACHINE & LABOR
Machine cost and hands-on work
Do I need a machine hourly rate?
You can set it to zero for a hobby comparison, but a commercial quote then makes no provision for printer purchase and maintenance. Use the helper calculator to build an internal baseline.
Is every print hour also a labor hour?
No, not when the machine runs unattended. Count time actually spent on setup, material handling, removal, support cleanup, inspection, customer work and packing.
What is the difference between consumables and order overhead?
Per-part tape, adhesive or packaging rises with quantity. A single box, order setup or transaction task occurs once per order and belongs in fixed order overhead.
RISK & PRICE
Failure risk and selling price
What failure rate should I use without records?
There is no universal default. Compare several scenarios, such as 0%, 10% and 20%, then begin logging comparable jobs. Replace the scenario with observed data as the sample grows.
Are markup and margin the same?
No. Markup is profit divided by cost, while margin is profit divided by selling price. A 30% markup on a $10 cost produces $13 before fees, which is about a 23.1% margin.
Why are marketplace fees grossed up?
The fee is deducted from the amount charged. To retain $10 after a 6% fee, divide $10 by 0.94, giving about $10.64—not $10.60.
Should I always enter a 10% tax allowance?
No. Tax treatment depends on country, seller status, customer location and marketplace collection rules. The field is a user-controlled scenario, not a recommendation.
SERVICE
Results and data
Does the result guarantee a market price or profit?
No. It is an input-based estimate. Design changes, uniqueness, competition, shipping, returns, deadlines and liability remain business decisions.
Are my inputs sent to a server?
The quote inputs are stored only in your browser's local storage. The calculator does not send those values to a MechModel Lab server.