Slant 3D aims to lower 3D printing filament price to $10/kg in the industry

FDM 3D printing mostly requires plastic in the form of filament wires as the 3D printing material. The most common material used for this purpose is PLA. So far, the prices for inexpensive filaments range between 15 and 25 US-Dollar per kilogram. A 3D printing service provider from the USA wants to change that and is aiming for a price of $10 per kilogram.

3D printing service provider Slant 3D has posted a plan on YouTube for how to make the price jump downward. “Our goal is to lower manufacturing costs through efficient on-site production and pass those savings on to customers,” says Slant 3D’s Gabe Bentz.

The company has been producing filament for its own use in its in-house 3D printing farms for three years. Now it has acquired its own production line for filament distribution. In September, Slant 3D successfully produced a crystal clear filament that easily detects impurities. A black filament is to be launched next, with other colors to follow in 2024. Meanwhile, the price per kilo is to fall continuously. For example, the price is expected to drop from the current $20 per kilogram to $14 in 2024, and by 2025, the company plans to sell a PETG filament for $10 per kilogram.

“By supplying our printing farms and the open market in parallel, we can achieve economies of scale and utilize the machines efficiently,” Bentz said. The company hopes to cut costs further by sourcing raw materials more cheaply and reducing shipping costs.

Whether this plan is actually successful remains to be seen. Basically, Bentz is demonstrating a strategy that is not uncommon in manufacturing. Through scaling and mass production, the end product can become cheaper to manufacture as well as sell. However, these steps are also often difficult to accomplish, especially for small companies.

If Slant 3D is successful with its strategy, it could lead to a new pricing dynamic for 3D printing materials.