Engineers have developed a new 3D-printing technique that uses molten aluminum to quickly manufacture large-scale parts. This Liquid Metal Printing method deposits the metal into a bed of tiny glass beads, which hold the metal in place while it cools. In minutes, they can produce furniture-sized parts, but that speed comes at a cost in resolution; the printed parts are rough, but they have the strength to withstand further machining by bending, milling, etc. The process is also well-suited for reusing scrap metal. The team hopes their method will be a useful prototyping tool as well as a possible manufacturing technique in architecture and construction. (Image and video credit: MIT News; research credit: Z. Karsan et al.)
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