The Printer Management system in 3DQ allows you to configure and manage your 3D printers, including their depreciation and power usage calculations, which are essential for accurate quote generation.

To access the Printer Management page:

1. Click on Printers in the sidebar navigation

The Printer Management page displays a list of all your printers with key information:

• Name
• Material diameter
• Depreciation per hour
• Power usage
• Status (Active or Archived)

You can:

• Sort the list by clicking on column headers
• Filter by name using the search box
• Toggle between viewing all printers or only active printers

To add a new printer:

1. Click the Add Printer button
2. Fill in the following information:
   • Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "Bambu Lab X1 Carbon")
   • Material Diameter: The filament diameter the printer uses (typically 1.75 or 2.85 mm)
   • Price: The purchase price of the printer
   • Depreciation Time: The expected lifetime of the printer in hours
   • Service Cost: Estimated maintenance costs over the printer's lifetime
   • Power Usage: The printer's power consumption in watts
3. Click Save

The system automatically calculates the depreciation per hour based on the price, service cost, and depreciation time:

depreciation_per_hour = (price + service_cost) / depreciation_time

To edit an existing printer:

1. Find the printer in the list
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon)
3. Update the printer information
4. Click Save

Rather than deleting printers (which could break historical quotes), 3DQ uses an archiving system:

1. Find the printer in the list
2. Click the Archive/Unarchive button (archive icon)
3. Confirm your action

Archived printers:

• Will not appear in dropdown menus when creating new quotes
• Will still be available for viewing historical quotes
• Can be unarchived at any time
• Are visible when you toggle "Show All" in the printer list

Deleting a printer should be done with caution, as it may affect historical quotes:

1. Find the printer in the list
2. Click the Delete button (trash icon)
3. Confirm the deletion

Note: You cannot delete a printer that is used in existing quotes. You must archive it instead.

When creating quotes, 3DQ uses the printer information to calculate two important costs:

depreciation_cost = print_time * depreciation_per_hour

This accounts for the gradual wear and tear on your printer over time.

power_cost = print_time * power_usage * electricity_cost_per_kwh

This accounts for the electricity used during printing. The electricity cost per kWh is configured in the Settings page.

1. Be realistic about depreciation time: Consider the manufacturer's recommendations and your usage patterns
2. Include all service costs: Factor in replacement parts, maintenance, and upgrades
3. Measure actual power usage: If possible, use a power meter to get accurate power consumption
4. Update as needed: If you upgrade your printer or its components, update the information
5. Consider different profiles: For printers that can run in different modes (e.g., draft vs. quality), consider creating separate printer profiles