Pricing

Materials

Each project consumes a specific amount of material. Prices vary by type; for example, standard PLA is more economical than specialized materials like Titanium.

We calculate the material cost ($Q_M$) using the following formula:

• $Q_M$: Total material cost for the product.
• $W_p$: Total weight of the material used (in kilograms).
• $P_m$: Price per kilogram of the chosen material.

Example: If a material costs $20/kg and your design uses 50g, the material cost will be only $1.00 ($20 \times 0.05$).

Energy Consumption

To keep our printers running and heat beds at the ideal temperature, we account for the electricity consumed during production.

The variables for this calculation are:

• $Q_E$: Total energy cost.
• $P_E$: Local energy cost (per kWh).
• $t_i$: Machine preparation time (e.g., preheating).
• $t_p$: Total active printing time.
• $E_i$: Energy consumption rate during preparation (kW/h).
• $E_p$: Energy consumption rate during operation (kW/h).

Machine Wear

Our FDM printers are high-precision tools requiring regular maintenance and part replacement to ensure your prints meet our quality standards. To cover this natural wear and tear, we include a small maintenance fee:

• $Q_T$: Total machine wear cost.
• $t_p$: Total machine operation time (hours).
• $P_T$: Original purchase price of the machine.
• $T_T$: Expected lifespan of the machine (in years).
• $R_R$: Repair ratio (estimated maintenance percentage of the investment).

Labor Fees

The talented FXST team is the heart of our work, and we ensure they receive fair and competitive wages.

Operating Fees This covers the time our team spends preparing your files, setting up the printer, and monitoring the process to ensure quality.

• $Q_O$: Total machine operator fee.
• $t_O$: Time spent by the operator on your specific job (hours).
• $w_O$: Hourly wage of the operator.

Design Fees (CAD) If you require a custom design, our CAD services apply. Because complexity varies, a designer will manually evaluate your requirements to provide a fixed time estimate.

• $Q_C$: Total CAD design fee.
• $t_C$: Estimated time spent by the designer on the project (hours).
• $w_C$: Hourly wage of the designer.

Shipping

Shipping fees apply whenever a finished piece needs to be delivered to your location. These costs are determined by the shipping carrier rather than FXST. The primary factors influencing these rates are the package’s total weight and dimensions (size).

Margin

While profit is not our primary driver, we apply a ** margin** ($M$) over calculated costs. This margin is vital for our sustainability and growth, allowing us to:

• Cover expenses from unexpected technical errors or accidents.
• Restock materials quickly to offer a wider variety of colors and types.
• Invest in new machinery to provide faster and more advanced printing options.

Taxes

Taxes are a mandatory cost that we must legally apply. In Mexico —the current region for our FDM printing services— we apply a 16% tax ($T$) to our costs.