Tool 03 / Print farm ROI
Buy the next printer only when the hours support it.
Model a small print farm with realistic utilization, hourly revenue, variable production cost, maintenance, and monthly overhead.
Model your print farm
Use realistic utilization that includes idle time and maintenance.
Reality check
Printer count is not production demand.
Use utilization, not theoretical capacity
A printer available for 24 hours does not generate 24 billable hours. Orders arrive unevenly; beds cool, parts are removed, spools change, machines are serviced, and some jobs fail. Base your model on observed active hours when possible.
Separate profit from cash flow
Payback shows how long operating profit would take to recover the initial printer purchase. It does not include financing, tax, owner withdrawals, workspace deposits, or large one-time repairs. Keep a cash buffer even when the modeled payback looks short.
Calculation contract · reviewed 2026-08-26
See the source of each input, the formula, and the limit of the result.
Your slicer, invoices, energy tariff, and job records are the preferred inputs. Manufacturer documents support settings and specifications. Example defaults are editable assumptions that demonstrate the model—not measured results.
- Preferred input
- Your job records
- Verification
- Visible formula + unit checks
- Defaults
- Editable example assumptions
- Output use
- Planning comparison