Build volume: Build volume is the largest space a 3D printer can make a part in, given as the width, depth and height of its usable build area.
Every printer has a usable envelope, for example 250 × 210 × 220 mm on a desktop FDM printer. A part larger than the envelope must be split and joined after printing, or sent to a bigger machine. In powder bed processes some of the nominal volume near the chamber walls is often left empty, so the usable volume is smaller than the brochure figure.
What it means for the price
Build volume decides which machines can make a part, and therefore which hourly rate applies. A part that fits only the shop’s largest printer carries that printer’s higher rate and waits for its queue. For powder bed processes the build volume is also the denominator of build share: the bigger the chamber, the more parts share each run.
Example: a part 300 mm long does not lie flat on a 250 mm bed, but may fit standing up or on the diagonal, with a different print time and different supports. The figures are an example.
Common confusions
Build volume is not the volume of the part. A part that fits by its dimensions may still not fit once supports, a brim or the spacing a powder bed needs are added. In powder processes, how full the volume is matters as much as how big it is; see packing density. Read how 3D printing cost is calculated.
Go deeper: How to calculate 3D printing cost, for any process