3D Printing Sensitivity Analysis Calculator FAQ
Answers to common questions about commercial 3D printing sensitivity analysis, profit estimates, failure rates and operating costs.
Use these answers to understand the calculator inputs and results. The calculator is designed for general commercial planning estimates and does not replace detailed financial, operational or professional review.
Using the calculator
Questions about the purpose of the calculator and its main inputs.
What does the 3D printing sensitivity analysis calculator estimate?
It estimates how a proposed change in print volume, selling price, material cost and failure rate could affect monthly profit, margin and successful output compared with a baseline.
What counts as a print job?
A job can be a production run, customer order or other consistent unit of work. Use the same definition for pricing and per-job costs.
Can the calculator be used for FDM, resin, powder or metal printing?
Yes. Enter average price, costs and failure rates that fit the specific process. Include process-specific consumables and waste in material cost.
What does a negative result mean?
A negative projected profit means estimated scenario costs exceed estimated scenario revenue for the month.
Revenue and costs
Questions about what to include in price, variable costs and fixed costs.
Why is revenue calculated from successful jobs only?
The model assumes failed jobs are not saleable and therefore do not earn the average selling price.
What should be included in material cost per job?
Include material, supports, consumables and expected waste per attempted job. Use an average that reflects the normal job mix.
What belongs in other variable cost per job?
Include costs that rise with attempted jobs, such as machine time, hourly labour, finishing, inspection, packaging or per-job energy estimates.
What belongs in monthly fixed costs?
Examples include rent, subscriptions, insurance, equipment leases and salaries that do not change with the number of jobs in the period.
Failure rates and scenario changes
Questions about quality assumptions and percentage changes.
What is the difference between failure-rate change and percentage change?
Failure-rate change is measured in percentage points. Moving from 8% to 5% is a decrease of 3 percentage points.
Why can a lower failure rate improve profit significantly?
It can increase saleable output and revenue while avoiding some of the cost of unsuccessful work, although the calculator still charges average variable costs to all attempts.
Can I enter a decrease in price, volume or material cost?
Yes. Enter a negative percentage for a decrease, such as -10 for a 10% reduction.
Does the calculator model capacity limits?
No. It applies the entered volume change directly, so check separately whether equipment, staffing and lead times can support that volume.
Accuracy and interpretation
Questions about what the output does and does not show.
Is projected profit the same as cash flow?
No. The calculation is a profit estimate based on entered revenue and costs; it does not account for payment timing, inventory movements, taxes or financing.
Does the calculator include depreciation or equipment purchases?
Not automatically. Recurring estimates can be included in fixed costs if appropriate, while one-off purchases should be reviewed separately.
Why might actual results differ from the estimate?
Actual results can vary because of job mix, downtime, reprints, demand response, customer discounts, capacity constraints and unplanned costs.
How often should inputs be reviewed?
Review assumptions whenever prices, supplier costs, process quality or production mix change materially, and use recent operating data where available.
How is projected monthly profit calculated?
Projected profit equals scenario revenue from successful jobs minus scenario variable costs for all attempted jobs and fixed monthly costs.
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