According to Quartz, we?re getting closer and closer to a future where you can essentially print anything with a 3D printer. That said, it has yet to live up to a lot of its potential promise.

Like anything, 3D printing has had to rely on the innovation of those using it. While it can sometimes be used for amazing purposes, creating 3D replacement limbs and even organs in experimental designs, 3D printers have also been used for rather mundane purposes as well — creating vases and footwear.

3D Shaping of the Future

How will 3D printing shape the future? Quartz suggests that many manufactured goods will begin to look more organic — because 3D printing allows a wider variety of connections and fusing, there will be less reliance on, say, screwing two pieces of material together and requiring an obvious connection point. The ability for 3D printers to very quickly print potential prototypes also suggests that companies are going to be able to product products more quickly, thus speeding up their potential response time to changes in the market.

At its most extreme, 3D printers have the potential to completely shake up existing industries. What would happen, after all, if you could simply pay to print off a pair of new Nike sneakers from your home device? This would not only impact storefronts — it would impact the entire online shopping network. It would have a potentially profound effect on factory production, on the shipping industry, on the transportation industry, and more.

The Future of 3D Scanning Services

Already, 3D printing has continued to push forward, because it?s not just plastics and rubber being printed anymore. 3D printers are now capable of printing in materials like metal, bamboo, and even the building blocks of human organs (although this, of course, is still being researched and perfected). The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved the first 3D printed drugs — in the future, getting your prescription filled might be as easy as turning on your home printer. Many foods are already printable, and scientists are working on creating the ultimate food: 3D printed bacon.

The Rise of NDT Testing

As 3D printing moves forward and is used for industrial applications — replacing typical machinery in order to create more seamless products — NDT testing will become more commonplace. Nondestructive testing describes a group of analysis techniques that are used to evaluate the properties of a component, system or materials.