Work out 3d print time instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Extrusion time is the material volume in cubic millimetres divided by the volumetric flow rate, with travel moves, retractions and layer changes added as an overhead percentage. Print speed is limited by how fast the hotend can melt plastic rather than how fast the motors move, which is why volumetric flow rate is the honest speed metric.
Extrusion time
seconds = volume in mm3 / flow rate in mm3/s
Total time
total = extrusion time x (1 + overhead)
seconds = volume in mm3 / flow rate in mm3/s. Extrusion time is the material volume in cubic millimetres divided by the volumetric flow rate, with travel moves, retractions and layer changes added as an overhead percentage.
Print speed is limited by how fast the hotend can melt plastic rather than how fast the motors move, which is why volumetric flow rate is the honest speed metric.
Enter material volume to extrude, volumetric flow rate, travel and non-printing overhead. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.