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Blake, Wm. The Magic Banquet with the Lady Spell-Bound. 1801.

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MIT researchers have engineered a new 3D printing technique using liquid metal that can produce furniture parts like table and chair legs within minutes.

The process involves depositing molten aluminum along a predefined path, which quickly hardens to form sturdy structures. Despite its speed, this technique currently sacrifices high resolution for faster printing, resulting in some irregularities in the final products.

The goal is to refine this method for more reliable use, potentially revolutionizing metal manufacturing with the ability to recycle aluminum.

Skylar Tibbits, senior researcher: “If we could make this machine something that people could actually use to melt down recycled aluminum and print parts, that would be a game-changer in metal manufacturing. Right now, it is not reliable enough to do that, but that’s the goal.”