Adding a Machine

Before You Start

Gather the following information about the machine before you begin:

• Purchase price (what you paid for it, or its current replacement cost).
• Estimated useful life in years.
• Residual value at end of life (usually €0 for most craft equipment, unless you expect to sell it).
• Power consumption in kilowatts (kW) — usually on the rating plate or in the manual.
• Your electricity rate in € per kWh (check your electricity bill).
• Estimated annual hours of use — how many hours per year you expect to run this machine.

Steps

1. In the main navigation, go to Machines & Equipment.
2. Click Add Machine.
3. Enter the machine Name. Be specific: "CO2 Laser 60W" or "Prusa MK4 3D Printer" rather than just "Laser" or "Printer".
4. Enter the Purchase Price in your organisation's currency.
5. Enter the Useful Life in years. Common values:
   • CO2 laser cutter: 5–7 years
   • FDM 3D printer: 3–5 years
   • Sewing machine (commercial): 10+ years
   • Pottery kiln: 10–15 years
6. Enter the Residual Value — the expected sale or scrap value at end of life. Enter 0 if you expect to scrap it.
7. Enter the Power Consumption in kW. If the machine uses 600W, enter 0.6.
8. Enter your Electricity Cost per kWh.
9. Enter the Estimated Annual Hours — how many hours per year you typically run this machine. This affects the depreciation calculation.
10. Click Save.

CrafterBy calculates the hourly cost automatically and displays it on the machine record.

Example: CO2 Laser 60W

CrafterBy will calculate a cost per hour (see the next article for the full formula). This machine would come out at approximately €0.39/hour.

After Saving

The machine now appears in your equipment roster and is available to add to products, components, and templates as a machine time line item.

You can edit the machine at any time. If your electricity rate changes, update the machine record and all products using it will recalculate on their next open.