How much does it cost · MJF 3D printing
On an HP Jet Fusion 5200, a full 380 × 284 × 380 mm build prints in 12 to 18 hours whatever it contains, according to MakerStage (2026): the machine cost of an MJF part is the build time shared across every part in the build, at $20 to $50 per hour. RFQdecoder derives the number of parts from a packing density of 15 to 20% of the volume and counts the material, PA12 at $50 to $90 per kg, for the part itself and for the unfused powder that is not reused (15 to 20% of the remainder; 3Dnatives reports powder recycling of up to 80 to 85% depending on the material). Depowdering and finishing add 10 to 20%, and dollar amounts are converted at the ECB rate. Example: a 30 cm³ part comes to €5.88 in a build packed at 20% and €7.26 in a build packed at 15%.
HP Multi Jet Fusion deposits its agents on the nylon powder, layer by layer, with an inkjet array that spans the full bed width, about 380 mm, in a single pass. MakerStage draws the consequence: build time is nearly independent of part count, and a full build plate takes the same time as one part (source: MakerStage, February 2026). DigiFabster, a quoting software publisher, makes the same observation: a well-filled print envelope takes as much time to print as an almost empty one (source: DigiFabster, November 2023).
On an HP Jet Fusion 5200, the effective build volume is 380 × 284 × 380 mm (source: HP, April 2023). MakerStage states that a full build plate produces 100 to more than 300 small parts in 12 to 18 hours (source: MakerStage, February 2026). RFQdecoder starts from there: the build time, 12 to 18 hours whatever the content, is multiplied by the machine hourly rate, then shared across all the parts in the build.
The number of parts comes from the packing density. MakerStage writes that a well-packed MJF build at 15 to 20% packing density lowers the cost per part (source: MakerStage, February 2026). The tool applies this rate to the build volume and divides the result by the part volume. The hourly rate is the one MakerStage publishes for the HP 5200: $20 to $50 per hour (source: MakerStage, February 2026), converted to euros at the ECB reference rate of the day (source: ECB, October 2026).
MakerStage gives a PA12 powder price of $50 to $90 per kg (source: MakerStage, February 2026). The tool counts two quantities of material per part:
Stated approximation: the unfused powder is counted at the density of the part. HP publishes a bulk density of 0.425 g/cm³ for PA 12 powder, against 1.01 g/cm³ for parts (source: HP, March 2018). Counting the powder at 1.01 g/cm³ gives a higher mass: the approximation pushes the price up, which makes it conservative.
An MJF part comes out of the build covered in powder. MakerStage describes two required steps: depowdering (compressed air and brushing) and bead blasting, which removes residual powder and improves the surface finish. The source also lists options: dyeing ($1 to $3 per part), chemical smoothing (AMT PostPro) and a sealing spray for watertightness. According to it, post-processing adds 10 to 20% to part cost (source: MakerStage, February 2026).
RFQdecoder applies this percentage: 10 to 20% of the part cost (machine and material). MakerStage’s cost table also gives post-processing of $5 to $12 per part for the HP 5200, noting that both MJF and SLS need depowdering and bead blasting (source: MakerStage, February 2026). On a small part produced in volume, that per-part amount is far above the percentage: see the example below.
Assumptions chosen for illustration, not taken from a source: a 30 cm³ part in PA 12; a 15-hour build; a machine rate of $35/h; powder at $70/kg; 20% of the remaining powder lost; finishing at 15%; a build packed at 20%, then 15%, then 10%. Build time, rate, price, loss and finishing are taken from within the published ranges. 30 cm³ is also the part size HP uses in its cost-per-part calculations (source: HP, April 2023).
Published values used: effective build volume of 380 × 284 × 380 mm (source: HP, April 2023); 12 to 18 h per build, $20 to $50/h, $50 to $90/kg, 15 to 20% packing density, 10 to 20% for finishing (source: MakerStage, February 2026); part density of 1.01 g/cm³ (source: HP, March 2018); €1 = $1.1225 on 2 October 2026 (source: ECB, October 2026).
Effect of build packing. Same calculation at 15%: 205 parts per build (6,151.44 ÷ 30 = 205.05), €2.28 of machine time, 34.01 cm³ of lost powder per part, 64.65 g of material, i.e. €4.03, a subtotal of €6.31, finishing of €0.95, total €7.26, 23% more than at 20%. At 10%, the packing density HP uses in its cost-per-part calculations (source: HP, April 2023): 136 parts, €3.44 of machine time, 54.31 cm³ of lost powder, 85.15 g, i.e. €5.31, a subtotal of €8.75, finishing of €1.31, total €10.06, 71% more than at 20%. The emptier the build, the more machine hours and lost powder each part carries.
Weight of the powder approximation. At 20%, the 24.04 cm³ of lost powder counted at 1.01 g/cm³ weigh 24.28 g. At the powder bulk density published by HP, 0.425 g/cm³ (source: HP, March 2018), they would weigh 10.22 g. The difference, 14.06 g, is worth €0.88 at €62.36/kg: that is the safety margin the tool keeps on this part.
Because an HP 5200 build prints in 12 to 18 hours whatever it contains (MakerStage). That time is shared across the parts: in the example on this page, a 30 cm³ part carries €1.71 of machine time in a build of 273 parts and €3.44 in a build of 136 parts.
Most unfused powder is reused: up to 80 to 85% depending on the material according to 3Dnatives, up to 80% for PA 12 according to HP, which gives a refresh ratio of 20%. RFQdecoder counts 15 to 20% of the build’s remaining powder as lost, shared across the parts.
Those MakerStage publishes for the HP 5200: $20 to $50 per hour and $50 to $90 per kg of PA12, converted at the ECB rate. On 2 October 2026 (€1 = $1.1225), that is €17.82 to €44.54/h and €44.54 to €80.18/kg.
MakerStage says they add 10 to 20% to part cost, the range the tool uses. The same source’s table also gives $5 to $12 per part, plus $1 to $3 for dyeing: on a small part, that per-part amount can exceed the cost of printing.
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