The origins of three-dimensional (3D) printing can be traced back to the 1970s when Johannes F Gottwald patented the Liquid Metal Recorder. Using continuous inkjet, this device produced metal objects which could then be melted down and re-used or reused.
Since then, innovations in 3D printing have happened at an unprecedented speed, with the most recent reports of 3D-printed Lamborghini and 3D-printed rocket engines.
Scientists from the North Carolina State University and Northwestern Polytechnic University in Tianjin have now reported that they can 3D print solid metal items at room temperature with just one step.
Michael Dickey of North Carolina State University stated in a recent press release: “3D printing is revolutionizing manufacturing. But we are unaware of any previous technology that could print 3D metallic objects at room temperature, and all within a single process. It opens the way to the manufacture of a variety electronic components and devices.