Cost of print materials

[Parox 0]

hi guys,

I am "nooby noob" to the exciting 3D, and just wondered if you could help me. I am planning to buy Ultimaker3 for quite basic prototypes for Bottle stoppers (like on the photo), or plastic screw caps.

My question is: What's an average cost of printing a single unit 3x3cm? Are there any extra maintenance costs I should consider using the printer for let's say 2-3 years?

Also, which filament would be good to simulate that rubbery structure of a synthetic stopper?

thanks, Parox.

[gerardgarcia 14]

Hi Parox!

Regarding materials, the cost of printing that part would be... around 5$ tops, maybe less?

A material that could give you that rubbery feel is the TPU 95A (polyurethane), however, CURA profiles are not yet optimized for the UM3 and TPU 95A at the moment, but you should be able to get it to work nicely it's not the most difficult material to work with. Playing with shells and infill during slicing you will be able to achieve the feel that you want.

Maintenance of the printer is very low, you can do most of the preventive maintenance yourself with the tools that come in the box. For the UM2+ there's a maintenance kit available, expect something similar for the UM3, you will see whether you need it or not as you move along: https://ultimaker.com/en/products/add-ons