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The latest 3D-printing development: bringing stretchable gadgets closer

As 3D printing is evolving so quickly, we thought we would tell you about the latest development:

Researchers have now created liquid metal structures using 3D printers, suggesting that stretchable electronics created by the printers, may start appearing in the near future.

This was discovered by a team at North Carolina State University, using a combination of two metals – gallium and indium – that are liquid at room temperature, but form a “skin” when exposed to air. They found that when printed, the shapes can be stretched without reverting to blobs.

The shapes are created by the printer using a syringe to stack the droplets on top of one another.

The droplets retained their shape without merging into a single big droplet, which allowed the scientists to then shape the metal. The resulting structures are soft and if you embed them, in rubber, for example, you can create structures that are deformable and stretchable.

The technology has potential to be used for micro-circuits and wearable electronics.

Gadget makers could potentially use the technique to make connections between electronic components that would not break if their device was pulled or twisted.

Flexible electronics are starting to emerge, with companies such as Samsung, LG and Nokia experimenting with bendy displays for phones and televisions. But as this new technology is stretchable, this is another step forward for 3D printing.

As we always ask when we hear of new 3D printing developments, what next? It would be great to hear your thoughts.