Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (LQMT)

[Researchfyi]

From looking around at all of the manufacturers and those delving into amorphous metal using traditional methods of producing parts it appears that no one realized that the metal was and is not cost effective unless it is either used for a very high priced selling product or a high volume product. Thus a product like an expensive watch, which is not high volume finds a home. The other conundrum was LQMT always lacked the funds and venture capital to produce and create a process to produce high volume parts.

In essence the blind or ignorant were leading the blind and ignorant investors since ipo imo. In hindsight we can all see this. Even the ceo of Engel stated he did not realize how difficult it was to manufacture and sell amorphous metals until after Engel had contracted with LQMT. They admitted their ignorance as well. Ditto for Materion which had the $$$ to do it but chose not to. The material requires a lot of upfront millions and brains to try to cost effectively compete with other less costlier materials. Then to there are certain limitations in the medical field due to law suits. Yes there are millions of places in the medical field where a spring a gear an instrument is better suited for LQMT amorphous metal. But it has to make a huge difference for companies to increase cost. Those instruments require high volume orders.

I think we all realize the small contracts do not make a company by now. I think LL realizes it too. However, due to government subsidies in China LL has been afforded a process and a way to produce this metal at higher volumes. Thus giving China an edge in competition. It’s not about fairness. It’s how whales are built. It happens in the USA too. With the oil industry the railroad industry the auto and telecommunications industry. It’s why the government here went after AT&T back in the 80’s to break the company up. China is not interested in fair competition or unfair competition. They want to be number 1 in everything.

Now if the last paragraph is true, it makes it much more difficult for other companies outside of China to compete once China’s home grown companies compete in China and outside of China.

Thus either other whales who want to compete with China have no other recourse then to either duplicate what China has done (if they are ambitious) or they, whoever they are will be beholden to China’s way of one manufacturing source regardless of how many manufacturers there are in China making amorphous metal parts.

I don’t know of any other high volume high capacity manufacturers that can compete with China’s amorphous metal manufacturers. Perhaps 3D printing might. But the structural integrity is not the same from what I read. Maybe that is not the case today. Perhaps 3D printing has improved.

The military here too does not care about costs and sometimes contracts are awarded imo due to corruption not fairness imo.

If my opinions are half correct it is why we see very little revenue growth in LQMT and a declining share price. It is also why we might see a one off contract that can also put LQMT on the map.