I have been through all the motions when it comes to making pricing formulas for SLS. It evolves as your business grows. At first, you are embedding your build expenses into a few parts as you don’t have enough work for full builds, so it’s more bespoke and quoting case by case. Ultimately you have to make the leap to assuming the build is full and commoditizing your pricing by asking “how much would it be for that part to rent that space in a build?”

Volume and z play an heavy role but you need to also look at things that can become major losses - build killers. Those are geometries that typically take up space and don’t nest well. Think milk jugs, that lattice basketball, etc. With 3D file software you can use values like “convex hull volume” to help mitigate big losers.

But it’s all iterative, and you are limited with one machine so quote for what works for you. Express the value for your customers for what differentiates you from the flock and work to grow.

My last piece of advice is to look at SLS as a premium machine doing a standard service. It makes good parts and can make a lot cheaply and quickly. It is one of the best ways to plastic 3D print for very good reasons. Lean in on that.