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Researchers demonstrate rapid 3D printing with liquid metal

Liquid metal printing, developed by MIT researchers, rapidly creates 3D metal structures by depositing molten aluminum along into a bed filled with microscopic glass beads. The process can produce low-resolution objects like frames for chairs and tables in minutes.

Speed and scale, and also repeatability and energy consumption, are all important metrics,” says Skylar Tibbits, associate professor in the Department of Architecture and co-director of the Self-Assembly Lab, who is senior author of a paper introducing LMP. Drawing on the group’s previous work on rapid liquid printing with rubber, the researchers built a machine that melts aluminum, holds the molten metal, and deposits it through a nozzle at high speeds. MIT researchers have developed an additive manufacturing technique that can print rapidly with liquid metal, producing large-scale parts like table legs and chair frames in a matter of minutes.

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