New Liquid Metal Method of 3D Printing Researched by Chinese

Chinese engineers Lei Wang and Jing Liu, of Beijing have published a research paper titled "Liquid Phase 3D Printing for Quickly Manufacturing Conductive Metal Objects with Low Melting Point Alloy Ink" which points to a new process that should greatly improve issues which have been hovering over 3D metal printing, such as requirement of metal that only melts at high temperature, length of time used to print, lack of energy efficiency, and cost. Wang and Liu convince us that liquid phase 3D metal printing offers some choices in using metals that melt at lower temperatures, cool quickly--and allow much faster prototyping. Because the metal melts so much more quickly, much less energy is used. The engineers think this could be used to be enhance the current 3D metal printing process. More details on this method can be found here: http://3dprint.com/17223/liquid-phase-3d-metal-printing

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They're not the first to think about low melt temp metals for that use. Most others moved on already : those metals are highly toxic and not suited for daily use. There's a reason why we no longer have lead toys.

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Originally Posted by LambdaFF

those metals are highly toxic and not suited for daily use. There's a reason why we no longer have lead toys.

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The one they're looking at doesn't appear to be. It's a bismuth-indium-tin-zinc alloy.