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Need 3D Printing Near Me? Here’s What to Look for in a Local Service Searching for “3D printing near me”? You’re not alone. Whether you’re
3D Riggers (Pty) Ltd
20/05/2025
Can 3D printing make money? If you’re asking that question, you’re not alone. Every month, thousands of people are searching for ways to turn their 3D printer into a real income source — whether it’s a side hustle, freelance gig, or full-blown business.
The answer? Yes — 3D printing can make you money, even if you only have one machine. But not every approach works. Some prints waste time, filament, and energy. Others become highly profitable if you solve the right problems.
We know because we’ve done it — starting from a one-bedroom flat in Pretoria with a single printer and R4000. Today, we run a 30+ machine print farm producing thousands of parts monthly.
Let’s break it down.
Let’s be real: owning a printer doesn’t guarantee profits. A lot of beginners fall into the trap of printing toys, figurines, or trending gadgets. These often:
Sell for very little
Take hours to print
Compete with mass-produced imports
To make money with 3D printing in 2025, you need to focus on function, not fluff. Think tools, parts, and solutions — not trinkets.
There’s a massive opportunity for makers who solve real-world problems. Businesses are increasingly turning to local 3D printing solutions to:
Replace slow overseas lead times
Avoid high tooling/setup costs
Get low-volume, high-value parts fast
From jigs and fixtures to packaging tools and product enclosures — 3D printing makes money when it saves someone else time or cost.
Startups need prototypes. Engineers need models. Offer fast turnaround with decent print quality, and you’ll always find demand.
We made money early by creating and selling a detachable number plate clip — small part, big demand. The automotive market loves personalization.
Companies often need 30–1,000 identical parts, but don’t want to pay for injection molding. We’ve printed:
POS system components
Cookie cutters
End caps for pipe shipping
If you can design and print, you become a one-stop solution for inventors and businesses.
Print master patterns for silicone casting — great for soap makers, chocolatiers, and short-run rubber parts.
Even one desktop printer can bring in R10,000–R25,000/month, depending on your niche.
| Metric | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Avg. order value | R1,000–R5,000 |
| Monthly jobs | 6–10 |
| Filament cost | ~R1.50/part |
| Print time per order | 3–12 hours |
| Margin | 60%–80% |
It’s not passive income, but it’s highly leveraged income if you reinvest and scale.
❌ Undercharging
Too many people try to compete with Alibaba.com. Don’t. Your value is speed, service, and flexibility.
❌ Selling gimmicks
Focus on function, not fads. Gadgets come and go — real-world needs are steady.
❌ Ignoring the client journey
It’s not just about prints. Communicate well, quote fast, and deliver quality — that’s what brings repeat orders.
At 3D Riggers, we started in 2015 with just R4000 and one printer. We printed small props for architecture students and FPV drone pilots. Then we broke into the car market with a custom number plate clip, reinvested in more machines, and scaled.
When COVID hit, demand for face shields exploded. We jumped from 3 to 8 printers and produced thousands of shields in a few months. That period taught us the power of bulk production and speed.
Then came our first recurring B2B client — printing POS parts. That’s when we realized: recurring orders and bulk production are the key to predictable profit.
Today, we run 30+ machines, serving industries from retail to electronics.
👉 Read our full origin story: Can 3D Printing Be Profitable?
But only if you treat it like a business — not a side hobby.
✅ Work with businesses
✅ Price for value, not volume
✅ Focus on bulk or recurring orders
✅ Build relationships, not just prints
We’re putting together a free short course that walks you through the exact steps we took — from one printer to 30+. It’s perfect for:
Beginners with one printer
Side hustlers wanting steady income
Makers ready to scale to real business
📩 Join the waiting list to be notified when it launches.
3D printing can absolutely make you money — whether you’re working nights from your desk or dreaming of a full production facility.
You don’t need a perfect setup. Just a printer, a plan, and the drive to solve real problems. And maybe, like us, you’ll look back one day at your first printer and realize it started something much bigger.
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