Nylon (PA) print cost calculator
Nylon is a tough, slippery engineering filament for gears, hinges and parts that wear against each other. It is one of the more expensive filaments, so an accurate estimate matters. Drop an STL to price it.
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- Size (X × Y × Z)
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- Volume
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- Surface area
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- Triangles
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- Mesh check
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- Build volume
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Cost estimate
| Cost | How | Amount | Share |
|---|
Printer, time & electricity
Labor, failures & markup
Nylon at a glance
| Density | 1.14 g/cm³ |
|---|---|
| Typical price | $30.00–$70.00 per kg (calculator default $45.00) |
| Cost per gram | $0.05 at $45.00/kg |
| Meters per kg | 365 m (1.75 mm) · 138 m (2.85 mm) |
| Nozzle | 240–270 °C |
| Bed | 70–90 °C |
| Enclosure | Helpful |
What common prints cost in Nylon
Estimated with 15% infill, 1.2 mm walls and 5% waste on a fast bed slinger, including electricity, machine wear and a 10% failure buffer:
| Model | Weight | Filament | Time | Material | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm calibration cube | 4.4 g | 1.59 m | 14 min | $0.20 | $0.27 |
| 50 mm sphere | 21.3 g | 7.78 m | 45 min | $0.96 | $1.24 |
| 70 mm twisted planter (sample) | 48.5 g | 17.68 m | 1 h 35 min | $2.18 | $2.78 |
| 50 mm ring (torus) | 6.6 g | 2.40 m | 18 min | $0.30 | $0.40 |
| 100 × 100 × 3 mm plate | 31.3 g | 11.40 m | 1 h 03 min | $1.41 | $1.80 |
Unfilled nylon has a density of about 1.14 g/cm³ and usually sells for $30–70 per kilogram; carbon-fibre or glass-filled grades cost more and can be denser. Because the material costs two to three times more than PLA, material is usually the dominant cost of a nylon part.
Nylon absorbs moisture from the air within hours, and wet nylon prints poorly. Most people dry it before printing and print from a dry box. The drying electricity and the extra failures belong in your quote: a 15–20% failure buffer is realistic until your process is reliable.
Nylon prints a little slower than PLA, so the calculator assumes about 80% of PLA speed. Parts that slide or mesh, such as gears, are often printed with more walls and higher infill (30–50%) — check how much that adds to the weight.
Best for
- Gears, bushings, hinges and living hinges
- Tool holders and parts under repeated stress
- Functional prototypes that must flex without breaking
Compare materials side by side in PLA vs PETG vs ABS vs TPU vs resin, or convert Nylon weight to length with the Nylon filament length calculator.
FAQ
What is the density of Nylon?
About 1.14 g/cm³, so 1 cm³ of solid Nylon weighs 1.14 g. Exact values vary a little by brand and additives.
How many meters are in a 1 kg spool of Nylon?
About 365 m of 1.75 mm Nylon, or 138 m of 2.85 mm filament.
How much does Nylon cost per gram?
At $45.00 per kg, Nylon costs $0.05 per gram (typical range $30.00–$70.00 per kg). A 48 g print uses about $2.18 of material.