Copper is a material that is used extensively throughout many major industries. Whether it is the construction industry, the manufacturing of machinery and electronic components, or even for household items and transportation equipment, copper plays a significant role in all of our lives. Traditional manufacturing techniques for copper can be very expensive, wasteful and hard to come by. However, if researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT) have their way, we may soon see a more efficient, more affordable, and much more accessible means of manufacturing copper objects in the near future.
While this itself has been quite a development, the school’s 3D printing endeavors and studies certainly don’t end here. In fact, Dr. Christopher Willams, an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at VT, is currently working on a machine that can 3D print copper parts and components.