5 Additional Ways 3D Printing is Taking Over The World: 3D Systems Corporation, Organovo Holdings & More

By now, there is almost no segment of society that hasn’t at least explored the use of 3D printing technology in some way.

Here are five areas where 3D printing technology has already gained an impressive foothold.

Related: 5 Ways 3D Printing is Taking Over The World: Ford Motor Company, Stratasys, Ltd. & More

Education

One area in which 3D printing is starting to flourish is education. This benefits not only equipment and supplies sales now, but in the future as students learn how to apply 3D printing to real world problems and technology growth.

3D Printing Industry listed a number of projects and partnerships designed to ensure that both K-12 and post-secondary education included access to and training in 3D printing technology.

One recent example involved a partnership between 3D Systems Corporation DDD and YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) to bring 3D printers and other equipment into public libraries and museums.

Military

Military forces in general and the U.S. military in particular are known to be on the leading edge of all new technology. Small wonder then that the U.S. military has been heavily involved in 3D printing.

One of the more interesting applications came in July of this year when the U.S. military 3D printed an Iron Man-like suit created by Hollywood FX experts, Legacy Effects. The suit could potentially be used to encase and protect soldiers on the battlefield.

In other developments, the military has made great strides in creating 3D printed food as a way to offer visually appealing and tasty food rations to soldiers in combat conditions.

Using Stratasys, Inc. SSYS Makerbot and 3D’s ChefJet printers, researchers have already gone a long way toward changing the face of MRE’s forever.         

Electronics

The ability to 3D print fully assembled electronics systems has long been the dream of electronics manufacturers. Although most products so far are “single function” the industry has been getting closer to complex devices capable of being 3D printed.

Much credit goes to the organizers of the global 3D Printing Electronics Conference. The second meeting of members from universities, research institutes and companies will take place in the Netherlands in 2015.

A leader in 3D printed electronics is Microsoft Corporation MSFT which successfully combined 3D printing and printable electronics in February of this year.

Toys

In a completely disruptive sense, home 3D printers could spell trouble for traditional toy manufacturers. A CNBC report noted a small company called Extreme Fliers, which said it would let customers who bought its $99 toy drone 3D print accessories at home.

On the other side of the sales counter, Shapeways and Hasbro, Inc. HAS have partnered to allow fans of My Little Pony, Transformers and Monopoly, along with other toys, to create and sell their 3D printable designs through an online marketplace.

Related: What Are The Two Most Exciting 3D Printing Stocks?

Medicine

One of the fastest-growing areas of 3D printing is bioprinting or the digital construction of living tissue. Organovo Holdings ONVO has already said it would offer commercially available liver tissue yet this year.

Already available, 3D printed robotic prosthetic limbs, teeth and even heart valves.

For these and other reasons Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine said, “3D printing has the potential to revolutionize medicine.”

At the time of this writing, Jim Probasco  had no position in any mentioned securities.