15 Best 3D Printed Items for Your Workshop & Business: Practical Prints That Save Time and Money
Introduction: From Novelty to Necessity
3D printing has evolved from a hobbyist novelty to an essential manufacturing tool. For Australian workshops, small businesses, and industrial facilities, the question isn’t “Can we 3D print that?” — it’s “Why aren’t we 3D printing everything we can?”
At Partmade3D, we print thousands of practical items for workshops across Brisbane, Queensland, and New Zealand. Some are simple organiser bins. Others are complex jigs that save hours per assembly. All of them share one trait: they solve real problems better and cheaper than off-the-shelf alternatives.
Here are the 15 best 3D printed items we recommend for every workshop and business — organised by function, with material recommendations and design tips.
Category 1: Organisation & Storage
1. Custom Tool Holders & Shadow Boards
Forget generic pegboard hooks. 3D print holders that perfectly cradle your specific spanners, screwdrivers, torque wrenches, and power tools. Shadow boards with cutouts matching each tool’s silhouette make missing tools instantly visible.
Best material: PETG (durable, chemical resistant) or ABS (impact resistant)
Design tip: Include a small magnet recess to hold metal tools securely
2. Parts Bins & Organisers
Standard parts bins never quite fit your components. Custom bins with dividers shaped to your specific screws, connectors, or small parts maximise drawer and shelf space.
Best material: PLA (low cost for light duty) or PETG (heavy duty)
Design tip: Design stackable with interlocking lips; add finger grips for easy retrieval
3. Cable & Hose Management
Custom cable clips, hose hangers, and cord organisers that attach to your specific bench posts, machine frames, or wall profiles. No more cables snaking across the floor.
Best material: TPU (flexible, grips surfaces) or PETG (rigid mounts)
Design tip: Design snap-fit closures that don’t require screws or adhesives
Category 2: Assembly & Production Aids
4. Assembly Jigs & Fixtures
Hold components in exact position for welding, bonding, or fastening. Custom jigs eliminate the “third hand” problem and ensure every assembly is identical.
Best material: Carbon fibre nylon (strong, precise, wear resistant)
Design tip: Include quick-release clamps or magnetic hold-downs; design replaceable wear pads
5. Soldering & Electronics Fixtures
PCB holders with adjustable tilt, component alignment guides, and integrated fume extraction ports. Essential for electronics repair and assembly workshops.
Best material: ABS (heat resistant, easy to machine)
Design tip: Add silicone pad recesses to protect PCB surfaces; design for standard helping-hand arms
6. Glue & Adhesive Application Guides
Custom nozzles, spreaders, and alignment tools that ensure adhesive is applied exactly where needed — no more squeeze-out on visible surfaces.
Best material: PETG (chemical resistant to most adhesives)
Design tip: Design disposable tips that snap on standard caulk gun barrels
Category 3: Machine Maintenance & Repair
7. Machine Guards & Safety Covers
Custom interlocked guards for lathes, mills, presses, and saws. Transparent polycarbonate windows integrated into printed frames. Far cheaper and faster than fabricated steel guards for low-risk applications.
Best material: Polycarbonate (impact resistant, transparent) or ABS
Design tip: Design hinge points as living hinges in flexible TPU, or integrate metal piano hinges
8. Replacement Knobs, Handles & Levers
Broken machine handles are a daily frustration. Print exact replacements — often stronger than originals — in colours matching your machine’s safety coding.
Best material: Carbon fibre nylon (load bearing) or ABS (light duty)
Design tip: Add metal threaded inserts for high-torque applications; knurl surfaces for grip
9. Belt & Chain Tensioners
Custom tensioner arms and pulley brackets for conveyor systems, drive chains, and belt drives. Adjust geometry to your exact centre distances.
Best material: Carbon fibre nylon or glass fibre nylon
Design tip: Include slotted mounting holes for adjustment; design for standard bearing sizes
Category 4: Measurement & Quality Control
10. Custom Go/No-Go Gauges
Rapidly verify part dimensions without a micrometre. Print gauges with pass/fail notches for critical dimensions on production parts.
Best material: Resin (SLA — ultra-precise, smooth) or carbon fibre nylon
Design tip: Include colour coding (green = pass, red = fail) and part number engraving
11. CMM & Inspection Fixtures
Hold complex parts in known orientations for coordinate measuring machines, optical comparators, or laser scanners. Essential for quality departments.
Best material: Carbon fibre nylon (dimensional stability) or resin (fine detail)
Design tip: Include reference datums and part identification; design minimal-contact holding points
12. Thread Checking Tools
Custom thread gauges for non-standard or damaged threads. Verify internal and external thread forms quickly on the shop floor.
Best material: Carbon fibre nylon (wear resistant) or metal 3D printing (permanent tools)
Design tip: Design as split gauges for easy insertion; include pitch diameter checking surfaces
Category 5: Material Handling & Logistics
13. Custom Pallets & Trays
Nesting trays shaped to your specific parts for transport between workstations, to suppliers, or for customer delivery. Protect delicate surfaces and prevent part-to-part contact.
Best material: PETG (durable, washable) or TPU (cushioned for delicate parts)
Design tip: Design stackable with locators; include RFID tag recesses for inventory tracking
14. End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) for Cobots
Lightweight vacuum grippers, pneumatic fingers, and part orientation tools for collaborative robots. Custom geometries impossible to machine, at a fraction of the cost.
Best material: Carbon fibre nylon (lightweight, strong)
Design tip: Integrate vacuum channels internally; design quick-change interfaces for your robot model
15. Shipping & Packaging Inserts
Custom foam-like TPU inserts that cradle products during shipping. Reusable, washable, and perfectly shaped — unlike generic bubble wrap or foam peanuts.
Best material: TPU (flexible, cushioning, reusable)
Design tip: Design lattice structures for controlled compression; include finger access for easy part removal
Material Selection Quick Reference
Table
| Material | Best For | Strength | Temp Resistance | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | Prototypes, organiser bins | Low | 55°C | $ |
| PETG | General workshop items, chemical exposure | Medium | 75°C | $$ |
| ABS | Impact resistance, heat exposure | Medium | 90°C | $$ |
| TPU | Flexible parts, grips, cushioning | Medium (flexible) | 80°C | $$$ |
| Nylon (PA) | High load, wear resistance | High | 120°C | $$$ |
| Carbon Fibre Nylon | Structural, precision, tooling | Very High | 150°C | $$$$ |
| Polycarbonate | Impact, transparency | Very High | 135°C | $$$ |
| Resin (SLA) | Precision, smooth finish | Medium | 60°C | $$$ |
| Metal (SLM) | Permanent tools, high heat | Ultimate | 200°C+ | $$$$$ |
Getting Started: Print In-House or Outsource?
In-House Printing makes sense if you:
- Need items daily or weekly
- Have staff with CAD and 3D printing experience
- Want immediate turnaround for urgent needs
- Print enough to justify machine investment ($2,000–$15,000)
Outsource to Partmade3D makes sense if you:
- Need high-performance materials (carbon fibre, metal)
- Require precision tolerances or large parts
- Don’t want to manage printers, maintenance, and material inventory
- Need design assistance or reverse engineering
- Want professional finishing (painting, machining, assembly)
Many of our clients do both: in-house PLA and PETG for simple items, outsourcing complex or critical parts to us in advanced materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to 3D print workshop items? Simple organiser bins: $5–$20 each. Complex jigs and fixtures: $80–$400. Compare to machined equivalents at $500–$3,000+. The savings are dramatic, especially for custom geometries.
How long do 3D printed workshop items last? PLA organiser bins: years in indoor use. Carbon fibre nylon jigs: 1,000+ cycles. Metal printed tools: indefinite. Material selection matches application life requirements.
Can I print these myself? Many simple items, yes — if you have a decent FDM printer and basic CAD skills. For load-bearing, precision, or high-temp applications, professional printing with industrial machines and materials is strongly recommended.
Do you offer design services if I have an idea but no CAD file? Absolutely. Our Brisbane engineering team can design from your sketches, photos, or descriptions. We specialise in practical, manufacturable designs.
Can you print in my company colours? Yes. We offer a wide range of filament colours and can paint or coat parts to match your branding or safety colour coding.
Conclusion: Your Workshop, Optimised
The best 3D printed items aren’t the flashiest — they’re the ones that save 10 minutes per task, prevent errors, organise chaos, and keep your team working efficiently. From a $12 cable clip to a $2,000 assembly jig, every custom print is an investment in smoother operations.
At Partmade3D, we’ve helped workshops across Brisbane, Queensland, and New Zealand identify and print hundreds of practical items. Let us do the same for you.
Ready to optimise your workshop?Tell us what you need or upload a photo of the problem you’re trying to solve. We’ll design and print the solution.
Partmade3D — Practical 3D printed solutions for Australian workshops and businesses. Designed in Brisbane. Delivered nationwide.