Liquid metals have been getting a lot of attention lately with a variety of unique applications, and recently, a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a rapid 3D printing technique using the material.
3D printing using metal materials is nothing new, but typically it will take several hours to complete any product. This new technique is called Liquid Metal Printing (LMP) and uses molten aluminum that is fixed in glass beads and any item that wants to be printed can be developed quickly and easily.
Where the advantage of this kind of 3D printing is seen through how quickly any object can be developed, the disadvantage is that it cannot print small-sized objects, or anything that requires detailed printing.
Because of that, for now this liquid metal 3D printing technology is more useful for large objects only such as parts for chairs and tables. In the meantime, the printed object is also quite durable, and can withstand various types of changes made to its structure, such as punching holes, drills and so on.
Even so, this research group will continue to develop this technology so that it can be used in a variety of ways in the future.