"With Liquidmetal, ENGEL opens the door to completely new classes of material and product characteristics; metal alloys can now be efficiently injection moulded. As the exclusive machine manufacturing partner of Liquidmetal Technologies from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA, ENGEL is the only provider worldwide to offer system solutions for the injection moulding of Liquidmetal materials. For the first time, showcased in the production of medical instruments at its 2015 symposium, ENGEL will be presenting the technological and market possibilities that its collaboration with Liquidmetal Technologies opens up for plastics processors and metal goods manufacturers.
Liquidmetal alloys – also called metallic glass – represent a completely new class of material with outstanding mechanical characteristics. The alloys are significantly stronger and at the same time significantly more elastic than the alloys and steels conventionally used, which makes it possible to produce components with a completely new profile of characteristics. Together with Liquidmetal Technologies Inc., ENGEL has developed an innovative solution for the processing of the Liquidmetal alloys on the basis of its all-electric ENGEL e-motion series of injection moulding machines. This solution prepares the way for economical large-scale production of high-precision metal components that previously could only be fabricated with MIM processing or machined individually with CNC systems.
ENGEL sees great potential for the new technique in the area of medical technology. Beyond that, possibilities present themselves in a number of other areas, such as in the sporting goods or the aviation and aerospace industries. The first Liquidmetal applications have already been realised in the electronics industry."
